Child of Two Truths
by njborba
Summary: Richard and Kahlan must battle ruthless assassins who have been sent to kill their daughter. Sequel to, More than Words.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Part 1**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

Kahlan followed the sound of laughter. It delighted her ears as she walked along the creek's edge. Morning sun warmed and dried the dew soaked grass at her feet. She admired the countryside around her, which was covered in undulating hills to the north and a dense forest to the south. The narrow creek cut its way through both terrains. It was almost like the plot of land that she and Richard still dreamed about finding.

The laughter led her to a broad, shallow mud-puddle. Richard was seated in the middle of it with their eight-month-old daughter on his lap. It hadn't rained in nearly a week, which led Kahlan to believe that her husband had gone to great lengths to create the pool. "So, this is the important thing you had to do this morning?" Kahlan made her presence known. Her forehead creased in contemplation. "Isn't sitting in the mud a little bit… muddy?" she couldn't think of a better word.

Richard turned his head toward the sound of her voice. His bare chest and the pendant hanging around his neck were both somewhat smeared with mud, while the rest of him was plaster in the goopy substance. He grinned up at her, dark eyes sparkling. "That's kind of the point, Kahlan. Didn't you ever play in the mud when you were a little kid?"

"No," she shook her head.

His nose scrunched up. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Kahlan nodded, straight faced.

Richard kissed the top of Leigha's head as he remembered the small bit of Kahlan's childhood that she'd revealed to him. He couldn't help thinking about the hurtful things her father had done to her and Dennee. Just the thought of her being tied up as a child made his heart ache. But he knew there was nothing he could do to change the past. "Well, I think we should rectify that," he eyed her long white dress and frowned. "But you'll need to change first."

Kahlan flashed him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I can't join you. A messenger showed up just after you left this morning. The town council would like me to negotiate a dispute about water rights. I just came to tell you that Zedd and I are about to head off," she informed him of her plans.

"Oh," Richard stuck his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout as he sat Leigha down by herself. He stood up and started to take a few steps toward Kahlan.

"Richard, don't you dare…" her tone was playfully warning as she watched him approach with muddy hands.

"What?" He shrugged innocently as he stopped in front of her. "I just wanted to kiss my wife goodbye. My lips aren't dirty."

Kahlan felt her cheeks warm a little. "I wouldn't be so certain about that," she teased. Richard leaned in and successfully kissed her without touching her dress. But he took advantage of her eyes being closed and ran one muddy finger along her nose. "Richard!" she jumped away from him.

"Oops," he did a very poor job of pretending it had been an accident. Richard rather liked the way she got so flustered when anything was out of place. "It's perfectly washable, you'll be fine," he smiled, feeling just a little bad about his misdeed.

She looked around and spotted his clean shirt on a nearby rock. Kahlan used it to wipe off the mud on her nose. The smile she wore was one of triumph. "So, is this what you plan to do all day with my daughter? Sit in the mud?"

"Yes," he confirmed. Richard sat back down beside Leigha and slapped his hand in the puddle, eliciting a belly laugh from the girl. He glanced over his shoulder to the right and then to the left before looking to Kahlan again. "Would you take Cara into town with you, please?" Richard looked around again; making sure the woman in question was not within hearing range of their conversation. "If she asks to go hunting or fishing with me one more time, I might scream. She's been like a puppy lately, following me around all the time," he groused.

Kahlan chuckled softly. "Is that why you commandeered our daughter this morning?" She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a disapproving look. "You do realize you're the one who started all of this with Denna, right? Giving them a taste of freedom," Kahlan reminded him.

"I know, and I don't regret it," his conviction on that matter was strong. "But Denna and Alina are both good at finding ways to keep themselves occupied," Richard noted.

"Where are Denna and Alina?" Kahlan asked, realizing she hadn't seen either of them since supper the night before.

He scooped up some mud in one hand. "Alina is out on patrol and hopefully Denna is getting some rest." Richard squeezed his hand and let the mud slowly seep through his fingers. He watched as Leigha crawled toward Kahlan. She managed to traverse the squishy ground rather well on her chubby hands and knees. Richard quickly dove toward the girl. He caught her just before she could reach her mother's clean dress. "Denna insisted on taking the entire watch last night," he added, wrestling his slippery daughter back onto his lap.

Kahlan looked to Leigha with a sad smile; sorry that she couldn't pick her up. "Do you really think it's necessary to have someone out there all night and day? No one has bothered us since Rahl's death. That was nearly seven months ago," she pointed out.

"Which worries them even more," Richard noted. "It worries me too," he admitted. "Especially after what we heard a few weeks back."

She nodded, recalling the little town that they had passed through and remembering what some of the townsfolk had been talking about there. "Rumors that Darken Rahl is still alive. I guess we should have known better than to trust those men to tell the truth…" Kahlan trailed off when she noticed the look of doubt on his face. "You did the right thing, Richard."

He didn't seem entirely convinced. "You don't think it's possible, do you? That Rahl could be alive?" Richard asked. Jelka and Rahl had nearly been burned to ash when they'd fled the People's Palace. But Richard had experienced enough magic to know that death was not always absolute.

"No," her answer was emphatic.

"Will you please take Cara with you?" he asked again, swinging the conversation back around. "Not just because she's annoying me, but because I'll feel better knowing that she and Zedd are both with you." The less he worried about potential foes, the better. They'd been living peacefully for months, happily married and taking care of their daughter. It was the simple life they'd both dreamt about. Richard hoped to keep it that way for as long as possible.

"I will," Kahlan agreed, looking down at her mostly naked and mud covered daughter. She silently reminded herself that she'd wanted Richard to teach Leigha about all of the things he'd enjoyed growing up. "Just don't keep her out here too long. Zedd said it's supposed to rain this afternoon."

Richard looked up at the clear autumn sky. "I doubt it, he probably only told you that so you'd be sure to get him back here in time for supper," he chuckled.

She smiled, thinking he might be right. Kahlan slowly took a few steps backward, a little reluctant to leave them behind. "Have fun," she waved.

"We already are," Richard stood Leigha on his knees and helped her wave goodbye.

xxx

There were storm clouds on the horizon when Kahlan returned that evening. The rain Zedd had predicted was headed their way. Cara walked quietly behind her as they found Richard in the same place Kahlan had left him that morning. He was seated on the grass, reclined on bent arms with his legs stretched out in front of him. Kahlan smiled, admiring his relaxed position as she approached. The smile faded when she spotted Denna there with her family, holding Leigha on her lap.

"Richard," his name emitted from Kahlan's lips a little icier than she would have liked. "Have you been out here all day?"

He turned and smiled up at her, happy to see that she'd returned safely. Richard was even glad to see Cara. Spending the day playing with his daughter had helped to calm his earlier worries. "Yes," he answered. "Don't worry, though, I fed Leigha lunch and several snacks. We also took a nice long nap together under a tree."

Kahlan barely heard what her husband was saying as she intently watched Denna. The woman swiftly handed Leigha off to a surprised Richard. He sat up and took the baby as Denna got to her feet. Denna stared at the ground as she spoke. "I should go relieve Alina; she's been keeping watch most of the day."

"Cara can do that," Richard countered, holding Leigha with one arm.

Kahlan bristled as his comment. "Cara spent all day traveling with Zedd and I, I think she deserves a break. She's not our slave," again her tone was sharper than she'd intended.

"She's right," Denna agreed, sensing Kahlan's unease. "Cara should rest, I'll go find Alina." She disappeared into the fold of trees before anything else could be said.

Richard stood and faced his wife, who did not look very pleased. He and Leigha were both still covered in dry clumps of thick mud. He smiled at Kahlan, hoping to smooth over whatever seemed to be bothering her. He paid little attention to Cara's presence as he spoke. "I was thinking that Zedd could watch Leigha for a little while tonight so we could do something on our own, maybe go for a walk or…"

"I've been walking most of the day," Kahlan cut him off. "I'm tired and Leigha needs to be bathed and fed. You can be the one to wash her," her final words were a demand.

He nodded, not thinking too much of her abrupt attitude, other than dismissing it as her being tired. "Sure, but after that…"

"After that I'll feed her and put her to bed," Kahlan replied.

Richard sighed, trying not to get frustrated. "You know, Kahlan, she doesn't need you to feed her all the time any more. Zedd can give her some rice porridge and berries just like I did for her lunch. That way you and I can spend some time together, alone."

"I said _I'll_ feed her," Kahlan's voice was blunt and final. "Besides, Zedd is staying in town tonight. They were serving spiced soup at the local inn. I barely managed to say goodbye to him before he'd disappeared. He deserves a break too. Now go and get washed up," she ordered before marching off.

He watched her for a while as she walked down the trail toward their cabin. Cara was still standing to his left, having been amazingly quiet throughout the whole conversation. He turned to the woman. "Did something happen today that I should know about?" Richard asked with genuine concern. "How did the water issue turn out?"

"Everything went well," Cara answered. "The Mother Confessor stopped two rival families from destroying the town's main water supply. They both agreed to work together to allocate water for the crops. She is very good at what she does," the woman concluded.

"I know," Richard agreed. "What about Zedd? Did his staying behind upset her for some reason?"

"She seemed perfectly fine all the way back here, until she saw you with Denna," Cara answered. She faced herself toward the distant hills. "I know that the Mother Confessor said I should have a break, but I'm going to patrol the northern boundary for a while," Cara announced. "Denna has been worried about keeping a tighter watch along our borders at night."

He nodded and watched her go, feeling bad for the things he'd said to Kahlan earlier about Cara annoying him. Richard knew that all three of them took their job very seriously, even when it seemed there was no apparent danger in sight. He really was grateful of their presence. Richard looked to his little girl, thinking about Kahlan again. "I'm not sure what I did to upset your mama, but I think we should pick her some flowers when we're done washing," he concluded as they set off toward the creek.

xxx

Richard pushed the cabin door open and slipped inside, balancing Leigha on his hip. He spotted his wife seated on their bed, already in her night clothes. She was brushing her hair in long, fluid strokes. Richard had found the brush for her several months back. It had a silver handle and soft bristles that left her hair smooth and shiny. Kahlan had been very pleased by the gift. He loved finding little ways to make her happy. Unfortunately, she still looked a bit out of sorts at the moment.

He felt bad for having abandoned the flower picking idea when the rain clouds started to sprinkle the land. Richard had opted to get his daughter home instead, before the main eye of the storm could drench them. He held the little girl closer as she fussed. She was clean and dry, but had grown rather cranky by the time they reached the cabin. Leigha was slobbering more than usual and sucking on her fingers as she cried.

"Bring her here," Kahlan called out to him.

"I think it's a new tooth coming in," he told her, easing Leigha into Kahlan's arms. Richard watched as his wife cradled the baby and stroked her cheek, easily managing to calm her a little. He listened as Kahlan hummed a familiar tune. It was a lullaby that she always sang to Leigha at night.

"Would you get me a cold damp cloth?" Kahlan asked of him as she scooted herself backward to sit against the wall. She took the cloth from Richard a short time later and placed the cool fabric in Leigha's mouth. The little girl quieted even more and sucked on the cloth for a while. When she was done, Kahlan handed the fabric back to Richard.

"How did you know to do that?" he asked.

Kahlan unlaced the ties at the front of her night dress and Leigha latched to one breast, suckling eagerly. "It was just something I tried when her first tooth was coming in. I think the cold helps numb her pain a little," she relayed, running a hand over the soft tuft of dark hair on Leigha's head.

Richard smiled, watching mother and child for a short time. He placed the damp cloth over the back of a chair to dry and went about building a small fire. It was six weeks into autumn and the weather had been warm for the most part, but the storm outside had brought a colder night. Richard placed three logs in the fireplace and positioned some wood chips beneath them. He lit the chips with a spark from flint and steel. Richard blew gently on the flames until the blaze grew steadily.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "I could make something," Richard offered.

She shook her head, not looking up. "Some women in town packed a meal for Cara and I, we ate on our way back," Kahlan let him know.

He nodded. "So…" Richard moved toward their bed, sat down and pulled off his boots. "Are you going to tell me why you're cross with me?" he inquired.

"I'm not mad at you," Kahlan replied.

Richard sighed. "Well something is bothering you," he wasn't going to let her off so easily. He wondered if she was upset that he'd kept Leigha out all day. But he felt it was something more than that. Richard suddenly remembered something Cara had said. "Kahlan," he faced her. One hand reached out and caressed her cheek but she pulled away. He smiled. "You know, we really need to do something about this jealous streak of yours," Richard intoned. "Even as cute as it is," he added. "Denna and I were just talking."

"I'm not jealous of Denna," Kahlan replied in a dismissive tone. She took a few deep breaths and regarded her daughter. The little girl's eyelids were drooping. "I just don't like that you let her hold Leigha. When I saw Denna with her, it really bothered me," Kahlan admitted. "I want her to be safe, and Denna is… she's not…"

He reached out and lifted her chin so she would look at him. "Kahlan, you trusted Denna with your life," Richard reminded her of events from not so long ago.

"Yes, my life, not Leigha's," she looked him in the eye. "When it comes to our daughter, I trust only you and I," Kahlan made herself clear.

His hand dropped away. "Well, I trust Denna with all of our lives. I think she has more than proven herself to us. I know it's a little strange considering what she did to us before, but Denna is not that same person. I'd trust Leigha's life to Zedd too, even Cara and Alina. Kahlan, it's not healthy for you to be so protective of her."

She listened and tried to understand the reason in his words, but it was hard for her. "I'm her mother, Richard," Kahlan felt her stomach flop at the thought of leaving the baby with someone other than Richard, even for a short time. "She needs me."

Her voice cut through him like a knife. The sorrow he heard in her tone made his thoughts tumble. There was something more to it all, something he hadn't touched on yet. "This isn't just about you not trusting someone else with Leigha, is it?" Richard felt he finally knew what was at the root of her issues, something he thought she'd dealt with months ago. "Kahlan, you need to forgive yourself for what you did to save me. I know you didn't want to abandon Leigha, I know how much you love her and…"

"She's asleep," Kahlan interrupted him, looking down at her daughter's completely closed eyes. Leigha's mouth had left Kahlan's breast but her small lips were still slightly puckered, frozen in position where she had drifted off. "Would you put her down?"

Richard could hear the warble of emotion underlying Kahlan's tone. He could see the tears welled in her eyes that threatened to fall. "Sure," he agreed, scooping the girl into his arms. He held her close as he walked the few feet to Leigha's bed. Richard settled her into the small cot and pulled a blanket up over her. He knelt down and kissed her on the forehead. "Sleep well my little mud princess," he whispered.

When he returned to their bed Kahlan was curled up facing the wall with her back to him. His heart broke to see her so upset. He wasn't sure what to do for her. As he crawled into bed and situated himself, he pressed his chest to her back and let one arm fall across her waist. "I'm sorry, Kahlan, I didn't mean to push you like that. I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you ever want to talk about it." Richard held her tight. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

There was a long stretch of silence before she finally replied. "I love you, too."

He closed his eyes, thankful of her words. The gentle pit-pat of rain on the roof carried him off to sleep.

xxx

An insistent tug at his shoulder caused him to wake. Feeling sluggish and unable to determine how long he'd been asleep, Richard opened his eyes and looked around. Kahlan's shoulder was still facing him and moonlight filtered in through the window above them. He didn't hear Leigha crying or rain falling. There was no other sound in the room. But the tug returned and he shifted to look over his shoulder.

"Denna?" He blinked, confused by her presence. Richard was about to ask what she was doing there when he saw her put a finger to her lips. She silently beckoned him to follow.

Richard watched her walk across the cabin and slip out the door quietly. He wondered for a moment if he was dreaming but decided to find out for sure. He carefully slipped out of bed, pulled on his boots and reached for the sword that rested beneath the bed. Richard padded past Leigha's cot and saw that she was still sleeping. The fire was nothing more than a pile of glowing embers, which led him to believe he'd been asleep for at least a few hours.

He emerged outside to find Denna standing by the cabin door. "What's going on?" Richard asked, noting the moon's high position in the sky.

"I did not want to alert anyone else, until you saw what I have seen," Denna began to walk but was stopped by his hand on her wrist.

"I'm not leaving Kahlan and Leigha alone," he let her know.

"Cara is nearby," Denna relayed. "I need you to come with me," she insisted.

Richard followed her, though he was still worried about leaving Kahlan and Leigha behind. "Where are we going? What's happened?" he knew something was not right by the lack of information that Denna had given him. His mind momentarily jumped to the thought that she was leading him into a trap. He hated himself for such thoughts but it seemed to be a fear he still couldn't quite shake, even after just telling Kahlan how much he trusted the woman. Some things ran very deep.

The night was silent and still as they made their way. The storm had passed, leaving only dampness in its wake. He spotted something peculiar in the small clearing where Denna finally slowed her pace. In the low light he could tell that there were bodies lying in the grass. From an initial sweep of the land he spotted more than two, but couldn't be sure of an exact count. One in particular caught his eye and he looked to Denna, blood draining form his face. She nodded, confirming his fears.

He shook his head as he went to the woman. Her light brown hair was done up in a perfect braid, just the way he'd always seen it. Her eyes were closed and she looked to be asleep, but he could see the deep crimson stain that covered her chest and the knife blade that was stuck there. Richard knelt down and removed it with care, not wanting to cause her any pain, though he already knew she was lost to them.

"I'm so sorry, Alina," he whispered her name as he stared at the jagged line of the blade that had killed her. Richard hadn't known the woman very long or very well. She had been the quietest of the three Mord-Sith, keeping mostly to herself. "What happened?" he looked to Denna for an answer. "Did you try to save her, to…"

"It was already too late for that," Denna knew what he'd been hoping for. Some days the breath of life was a gift, others it felt more like a useless curse to her. "I should have come to check on her sooner, instead I was asleep most of the day and then with you and Leigha… relaxing," she bit the last word off as if it was a vile thing. "I should have known something was wrong."

"You could not have known," Richard stood and looked her in the eye. "This is not your fault, Denna. We all started to think that maybe we were safe here." He wasted no more time trying to console her as he looked around at the other dark figures. "How many?" he asked.

"I counted four," Denna let him know, her composure firmly in place again. "It looks like she killed them all before succumbing to her wound," she surmised.

There was a rustle in the trees behind them and Richard immediately drew his sword. It rang through the calm night air. Denna placed herself at his side, Agiel in hand. They both faced the noise and waited with cautious intent. The shadowy figure of a short, rotund man came into their view. He stumbled forward and ended up falling to his knees in front of them. From behind him Cara emerged, standing tall with a scowl upon her face and Agiel aimed at the man.

"I found him lurking around, not far from the cabin. I was about to take him to you, Seeker," Cara looked to Richard. "But then I saw the two of you headed this way so I decided to follow you and…" she trailed off as her eyes settled on Alina. "What happened?" she looked to Denna.

Richard watched Cara. He knew that she and Alina had shared a rather adversarial relationship. Cara seemed to have that effect on a lot of people. But he also knew that the Mord-Sith bond tied them all together as an odd sort of family. Sasha and Jelka had bucked their loyalty to the Mord-Sith sisters in exchange for winning Darken Rahl's favor. But Denna, Cara and Alina had sworn themselves to fighting for good. He knew Alina's death would be hard on both of them, though they might never admit it.

"She died honorably in battle, protecting the Seeker and his family," Denna relayed.

"Seeker?" the man at Cara's feet heard the word a second time and latched on to the hope of it being true. "You are the Seeker of Truth." He trembled slightly as he looked up at Richard, eyeing the dangerous sword in his right hand and the bloody blade in his left. "Then the Mother Confessor is somewhere nearby? I have found her at last?"

Richard's eyes narrowed as he contemplated the man. "How to do you know the Mother Confessor?" he asked.

The silver-haired man continued to stare at Richard, nervously fiddling with his ear. "Hammond is my name. I have known Kahlan since she was a young girl." He lowered his head. "I'm afraid I have come to give her some very grave news, something she must know about the child; your child."

"Hammond." Richard recalled the name, knowing that the man had sheltered Kahlan and Jennsen for a time. He had also helped Kahlan discover the gift she'd been given; the renewal of her power and her ability to control it. A grateful smile was aimed at the man. Richard sheathed the bloody knife in one boot and extended his free hand to help the older fellow up. "I apologize for Cara's treatment," he explained. "We've had some trouble tonight," Richard glanced at Alina again and sighed with regret.

The stout man followed Richard's gaze, but his eyes focused on one of the cloaked figures beside the fallen woman. "Dear spirits," Hammond clutched a rectangular leather pouch that hung from a strap around his neck. "It's all happening, just as it was written long ago."

Richard used the tip of his sword to push aside the dead man's long, black cloak. He, Cara and Denna all leaned forward to stare at the figure. They noticed the markings that were embossed in gold against the man's armored breastplate. It was a combination of three different symbols, sword, arrow and fist. "Do you know who these soldiers are?" Richard asked Hammond.

"I believe they are Tromani," Hammond replied. His eyes locked with Richard's. "The prophecy foretells that they will be the ones sent to kill your daughter."

A cold shiver ran along the back of Richard's neck. The tingling sensation continued, trailing down his arms and legs. "My daughter?" he gulped down the lump of fear lodged momentarily in his throat. He tried to settle his emotions. There was no reason to jump to conclusions just yet. "What are you talking about?" Richard demanded answers.

"There is a prophecy," Hammond went on, nervously folding his ear over as he spoke. "One I discovered in this book," he held the pouch toward Richard. "It claims that the Child of Two Truths will one day wield the power of Orden to rule the three lands," he explained. One of his chunky hands waved over the dead man's body. "These Tromani are assassins, sent to kill her before the prophecy can be fulfilled."

The thump of Richard's heart rang in his ears. He recalled the prophecy that had sent Kahlan looking for him in Hartland; the one that had foretold of his destiny to wield the sword of truth and defeat Darken Rahl. That prophecy had long ago sparked the killing of the first born sons in Brennidon. It suddenly didn't seem all that strange to think that his daughter had been named in a prophecy of such great significance. "How do they travel?" he asked urgently. "Do they hunt in groups of four like the D'Haran quads or could there be more nearby?"

Hammond looked around at the bodies. "Three," he spoke. "Three groups of three."

"Meaning nine all together?" Richard asked as he squeezed the sword in his hand. It glowed brightly as he watched Hammond nod. Denna had told him that she'd found only four dead, which left five men unaccounted for. Richard looked over at the two women to his left and realized that there was no one near the cabin where his wife and daughter were still sleeping. His feet took flight, headed off through the trees.

As he ran, Richard instinctively knew that Denna and Cara were at his heels.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

Note: I apologize for the wait between these parts. I'm working on a writing challenge this month and it has been hard to transition between two vastly different stories. I hope you will please bear with me. Enjoy!

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Part 2**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

Kahlan woke up to the sound of her daughter's plaintive cries. She was just about to nudge Richard when she felt a draft at her back where he'd been snuggled earlier. Kahlan turned herself over and frowned at the realization that he was gone. She blinked several times trying to adjust her eyes to the dim light in the cabin. Soft moonlight was shinning through the windows. It cast eerie shadows across the room as Kahlan glanced around looking for her missing husband. All she noticed was that the fire he'd built had burned out.

She sat up, pushed the blankets away and shimmied out of bed. Her bare feet hit the cold floor and caused her to shiver. As she scanned the small space again there was still no sign of Richard anywhere. Kahlan could only conclude that he'd stepped outside to relieve himself. Either that or he'd gone to replace one of the Mord-Sith on watch. It was still a little strange getting used to having Denna and Cara on their side. Kahlan often felt out of place with them around, as the two women usually preferred to deal with Richard.

Leigha quieted a little the instant that her mother appeared. Kahlan reached out and stroked one of her soft, pink cheeks. It was something she'd started when Leigha was first born. It always seemed to help calm the girl. Kahlan picked up the stuffed gray rabbit at the foot of Leigha's bed. Planning to save carved animals for when she was a little older, Richard had found the stuffed animal for Leigha to play with. He'd jokingly named the toy Smokey, in honor of a rabbit that Zedd had once scorched. Kahlan situated Smokey against Leigha's cheek, in place of her caressing hand, as she checked to see if the baby was wet or messy.

As Kahlan performed the task, she heard the cabin door squeak open behind her. A pleased smile crept its way over her face. She was happy to know that Richard had returned and would not be out on watch for the remainder of the night. Kahlan had felt bad for the way she'd left things between them before they'd fallen asleep. She hadn't meant to close up on him so terribly and she really wanted to make amends. The sooner they got Leigha back to sleep, the sooner they could climb back into bed together. "It doesn't feel like she needs to be changed," Kahlan called over her shoulder. "I think it must still be the tooth bothering her. Would you wet that cloth for me again?"

There was no answer to her request. It was utterly quiet in the room, even Leigha had stopped fussing. Kahlan turned around just in time to see the glint of moonlight on steel before a thick blade pierced her left side. Dark eyes looked into hers as the blade was pushed deeper. They were not her husband's brown eyes. Her knees buckled from the pain and the steel retracted from her side as she went down. Her heart thudded in her ears as she listened to Leigh's screams.

Her body trembled as she lay on her back bleeding. She tried to make her arms and legs obey her commands to defend her daughter but she could not. The shaking grew steadily and suddenly she knew it wasn't just from the shock of her injury. Kahlan had felt the same uncontrollable rage rattle her body before, it was familiar yet frightening. Her screams filled the night air, joining the baby's cries. She drew herself up onto her feet again; barely aware of the effort it took. Kahlan could feel blood soaking her gown and running down her leg. When she turned toward Leigha's cot Kahlan spotted the man standing over the baby with his blade pointed toward her.

She lifted one arm and stretched it outward, capturing the man from behind. Kahlan felt the rage bubble up and radiate outward, as if her blood was trying to escape through every pore in her skin. She watched as the man stopped short in his attempt to kill. He lowered the bloody blade point away from Leigha. The knife dropped to the wood floor with a clang and the man turned to face her. His eyes reveled that he'd been taken over by her rage. He crumpled to the floor upon her command.

Kahlan's wrath boiled over as another cloaked figure entered the cabin. He let a silver-tipped arrow spring forth from the bow in his grasp. She put a hand up and clinched her fist. The wooden shaft of the arrow snapped in half, mid-air. Her blood-red eyes met with his shocked green ones and turned him instantly to her control. Kahlan witnessed him lay down as simply as if he were about to fall asleep. But she knew he was dead because she'd demanded it with a simple thought.

Her attention instantly shifted to the two new men that appeared at her door. Before either could lift a blade or bow, she had them under her spell. Even from a distance her power raged. She raised both arms and flung each man to opposite corners of the room. It was silent for a long moment after that. Kahlan was only dimly aware of her surroundings, but she knew that Leigha was no longer crying. She didn't know if it was because the baby had settled down on her own or if something had happened to her before Kahlan had been able to subdue the first man. Thoughts of the latter made her blood surge with even greater fury as two more cloaked men entered the cabin.

There was no conscious control of her actions but deep inside Kahlan didn't think she'd be able to hold on much longer. The blood rage seemed to have no boundaries but her physical body was being pushed beyond its limits. Each of the men hurled a dagger at her. Kahlan took them both with a single thought and turned the weapons around, causing them to soar across the room in the other direction. She watched as the men seemed to welcome their impending death, knowing it would please her. At the last moment, Kahlan diverted the knives and they embedded in the wood wall behind the men. She turned her full effort to silently willing them to die. They obeyed the command just as the others had, laying down and taking one last breath.

Kahlan stood, poised with deadly focus as she faced the darkness beyond the door's opening. She remained that way for a long time, her weary body trembling. But no one else came after her or Leigha. The baby began to cry again and she turned around to investigate the sound. Kahlan stood beside Leigha's bed and watched the baby for a moment as she softly whimpered. Her little fists and feet kicked against the cool night air that had slipped in through the open door. Kahlan tried desperately to seek control as one of her hands slowly reached out toward the baby's cheek.

xxx

Richard hurriedly tried to catch his breath as he skidded to a halt just outside the front door. He'd been holding his sword at the ready the whole way back to the cabin. Denna and Cara nearly collided with his back as they came up behind him with great speed. Neither one of them seemed to be out of breath. Both held Agiel in hand, ready for a fight. The door was wide open in front of them, daring them to enter. Richard took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he might find inside. It was jarringly quiet as he stepped over the threshold.

They spotted the bodies, first one and then two. Denna looked over her shoulder and saw one in the far right corner of the room. Richard found another body to the left in much the same position, slumped against the wall. He walked around the wood table in the center of the room, going left. Cara did the same, turning right. "There is no blood," they both heard Denna's voice speak the words from behind them. "There are no injuries on these men, no blood anywhere," she repeated.

"There is blood here," Cara announced as her boot slipped through a large puddle of the thick, sticky mess. "Seeker!" she shouted to gain his attention and looked down at the woman lying motionless against the back wall.

Cara's spirited call sent Richard leaping over the table to get to where she was at the other end of the room. He looked down at Kahlan and his stomach twisted, seeing the large blood stain on her gown. It reminded him very much of the one that he'd recently seen on Alina's lifeless body. Something plagued his mind, though, something concerning what Denna had said about there being no blood on their fallen enemy. Things began to slide into place just as he watched Cara squat down beside Kahlan. "Cara, don't touch her!"

His words came too late. Kahlan's right hand reached out and snatched Cara by the throat. The Mord-Sith brought her hands up as she tried to free herself from Kahlan's iron clad grip upon her neck. Changing tactics, Cara reached for the Agiel at her side. She was just about to jab the weapon into Kahlan's chest when she felt a hand close tightly around her wrist. Cara dealt with the added effort of trying to fend off Richard.

"Cara, don't," Richard begged her, sheathing the sword with his free hand. He let go of Cara's wrist and forced his way between the two women. There was little room to maneuver, but Richard put his hands against Kahlan's shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Stop this, Kahlan," he pleaded with her. "It's Cara; she's not going to hurt you or Leigha. She's on our side, remember?" he stared into the blood-red depths of her eyes, where normally he found an inviting blue sea. "Look at me," he made sure that Cara was shielded from Kahlan's gaze, though he didn't know if that would be enough to save the Mord-Sith. "It's me, Richard," he tried to get through to her, remembering how he had succeeded before.

Kahlan dropped her hand and Cara gasped for air as she sank away, free from the hold on her. She still held her hand tightly wrapped about the Agiel. Kahlan crumpled into Richard's arms and he felt warm blood soak into his shirt. He didn't need to examine the wound closely to know how serious it was. "Cara, you know where Zedd is in town, go and get him." He didn't even bother to look over his shoulder at her as he issued the order. He felt Cara slip away. Richard had wanted to tell her to hurry but he figured that was implied.

He held Kahlan but looked over to Leigha's bed. Richard didn't hear the baby and feared the worst. "I will be right back," he whispered in his wife's ear as he gently laid her down. Her eyes were still wide open but she didn't seem very alert. His heart raced as his mind willed Cara to be faster than he'd ever seen her run before. When he stood, Richard found that Denna had moved in front of the baby's cot.

Two of her fingers were pressed against the child's neck. Leigha's eyes were closed. "She's sleeping," Denna informed him, seeing the worry on his face.

A lone tear streaked down his face as he digested the good news. Richard didn't want to disturb Leigha but he couldn't help himself, needing to know for sure that she was safe. He carefully placed one hand beneath her head and his other under her bottom. He scooped her out of the bed and watched as her eyelids fluttered in slept. He searched her small body for any signs of injury. Finding none, Richard put her to his shoulder and rubbed his hand over her back in lazy circles. He didn't want to let her go.

"I need you to do me a favor, Denna," he turned to the woman. "We should not have left Hammond the way we did. I'd like you to go back and make sure he's alright. Then go about gathering all the bodies out there. There is a low cliff not far from the spot where they are."

She nodded. "The one above the north mouth of the creek," Denna knew of which he spoke.

"Send the men over, they'll float down stream. It might help keep any others off our trail for a short time," he surmised. Richard put his cheek to Leigha's head and smelled the clean scent of soap in her hair. It helped to slow his racing heart a little. "Bring Alina back here. I want to give her a proper send off," he added before kneeling down beside his wife again. Richard looked over his shoulder and watched Denna as she stood in the doorway unmoving.

"I should not leave you all like this," she frowned.

He was grateful of her concern. "Go, Denna. Please. I won't let anything happen to them, I swear it."

"Or yourself."

Richard nodded. "Or myself," he promised. "When you return, we'll need to do something with these bodies too," he motioned to the men scattered on the floor.

"There are six of them," she let him know. "Six, not five," the words hung in the air for a short time. "I will be as quick as I can be," Denna finally took her leave of him.

He knew there were six, he'd counted them too. Kahlan moaned and his thoughts turned solely to her, realizing that he needed to do something more for her. He could not just sit on his hands hoping for Zedd to return. He got up and placed the baby back in her bed. Then he spotted the sash that Kahlan used to carry Leigha and snatched it up, along with a water bladder and another clean cloth. He dropped the items on the floor and grabbed one of Kahlan's daggers from her boot beneath the bed. He used the knife to slice her gown open. He removed the whole thing, leaving her naked but with clear access to her wound.

Dark blood soaked her pale skin. He turned Kahlan onto her side and tenderly dabbed the area clean, seeing deep into the chasm of her injury. He gently maneuvered her onto her back again and held her waist up while he wrapped the dark green fabric all around her middle, circling it several times. When the wound was fully covered, he lifted Kahlan up into his arms and carefully moved her onto the bed. Richard spread blanks over her exposed flesh but kept access to the injured area.

"Richard?" her shaky voice startled him.

He knelt beside her and cupped her cheek with one hand. "Everything is going to be all right," he cooed softly.

"Where is Leigha?" Kahlan rasped.

"She's sleeping, if you can believe that," he chuckled. "She's fine," he added in a reassuring manner, seeing the worry in Kahlan's eyes. He took hold of her left hand and squeezed it so tight that he feared he might crush it. Richard could not bring himself to loosen the grip, just as he had not wished to let go of his daughter earlier.

Kahlan took a sharp breath and let it out. "She woke up… upset… I think… tooth…" her voice was low and came in shuddered gasps for a moment. "You should try the cold cloth again, next time… it might help her pain. And you should sing to her, she likes that," Kahlan managed to get some of the words out in a longer string of breath.

Richard wore a half smile on his face. "Kahlan, you know that when I try to sing the birds all take flight. My voice is not exactly…"

"And tell her… tell her how much I love her," she interrupted him. "Every day, Richard. Promise me that you'll tell her."

"No," he shook his head, feeling his heart beat rapidly again. He gripped her hand even tighter. "Don't do this, Kahlan," Richard instinctively knew what she was thinking and he would have none of it. "Don't say these things. You'll tell her how much you love her and you can sing to her every night, just like you always do. I will not lose you, do you hear me? You are not going to die on me," he was adamant.

Her eyes managed to focus on him for a moment. "If your stubbornness alone were enough to heal me, I would be well enough to dance right now."

He smiled genuinely. "Well, when you _are_ well enough to dance again, I'll be the first in line to dance with you. In fact, there will be no line, because I won't let you dance with anyone else." Richard used one hand to push some hair away from her face. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. They lingered there a while as he tried to will all of his love into her, hoping that it would help in some small way.

Richard regretted sending Cara after Zedd. He knew that Denna would not be able to give Kahlan the breath of life again. He also knew that he could not either, it having been explained to him by Denna that only females could wield the gift, just as they were the ones who sheltered and brought forth new life. If Kahlan were to die, he knew that only Cara would be able to save her. He shook his head, trying to derail those negative thoughts. "Just hang on, Kahlan… Zedd will be here soon, Cara will bring him. Hold on for me."

"I'll try," she whispered before losing consciousness.

xxx

A noise from behind startled him awake. Richard lifted his head from Kahlan's chest, ashamed that he had briefly fallen asleep. He looked to Kahlan and found that her eyes were still shut. Fear pooled in his heart as he leaned in, cocked his head to one side and placed an ear to her lips. His worry subsided a little when he felt short, soft puffs of breath tickle the tiny hairs along the edge of his ear. Richard kissed her cheek just before he leapt to his feet and spun around, recalling the noise he'd heard.

"Zedd?" Richard's hope was dashed as he looked into Denna's piercing blue eyes. "You're back. Have you seen any sign of Zedd or Cara yet?" He glanced over her shoulder.

She shook her head. "The bodies in the clearing have been taken care of. Hammond is safe, though a little shaken. He is out in the barn."

"No, I want you to bring him here," Richard demanded as he went to Leigha. The baby was awake and grinning up at him as she gripped Smokey by one floppy gray ear. Richard couldn't help notice the very white top of a new tooth on her bottom gums. It sat just beside the first one that she'd sprouted several weeks ago. He smiled, guessing that it must have broken free in the night. Richard plucked her from the bed and looked to Denna again. "Can you do something with these bodies as well?" he asked.

Denna went straight to work, grabbing one man by the legs and dragging him out the door. Richard watched her exit and could see that sunlight was starting to lighten the sky. Dawn had arrived and Kahlan had managed to survive the long night. A shadow fell across the door and his grandfather stepped through. "Richard, where is she?" the old man wasted no time as he followed his grandson's pointed finger to the bed.

Richard looked to Cara, who was standing in the doorway. "Help Denna remove these bodies," he instructed before moving back toward Kahlan.

"You help them too," Zedd spoke to Richard as he perched himself on the edge of the bed. His hands were already working to undo the bandage at Kahlan's waist. "I don't need you hovering about. You can do nothing more for her right now, and I suggest you build a large fire to burn those bodies. The less evidence we have of them being here the better," he waved a hand at the younger man. "Go," he shooed.

Hammond entered the cabin, followed closely by Denna. "I need you to watch Leigha for a short time," Richard addressed the stocky little man. He was hesitant about leaving the baby with someone he barely knew. But they wouldn't be far. "There are some ground oats over there," he pointed toward the small ledge above the fireplace. "She's probably very hungry. Just make them into porridge. She likes that," Richard kissed the girl and handed her off.

He and Denna each drug one man toward the old shed where she had left the first one. Cara placed a second there as they arrived. Richard dumped his heavy load and glanced down at Alina who was lying beside the others. "No," he turned to Denna and Cara, pointing down at the dead Mord-Sith. "I told you I wanted her to have a proper service. I don't want her burned with these men."

"She would understand," Denna countered. Cara left them to their argument and headed back toward the cabin. "We do not have time for it now," Denna pressed. "We should head out as soon as the Mother Confessor and the wizard can travel. It is not safe for us here any longer."

He sighed, knowing she was right. His reasoning was still clouded by worry for Kahlan and Leigha. "Alright," he agreed, feeling terrible for the send off they were about to give the woman who had died for them. Richard walked with Denna back to the cabin. They passed Cara along the way. He glanced over his shoulder and watched as Cara dragged the last two bodies by herself. Richard turned back toward the shed as Denna continued on to the cabin.

Cara dropped her hold on one of the men and kicked him into place, closer to the others. Then she did the same with the last body. When Richard approached she started to move away from him but he caught her arm. Richard noticed how her eyes narrowed and her lips formed a thin line. Her whole face contorted into a scowl unlike any he had seen before. "Let go of me, Seeker." Her free hand rested against the Agiel at her side.

Richard did as she asked, sensing that she was upset over what he'd done when she'd tried to hit Kahlan with her Agiel. "Thank you for getting Zedd." He felt bad for not having said it earlier. Richard knew the Mord-Sith usually hated it when he thanked them for anything, but he recalled what Kahlan had said about Cara not being their slave. It didn't matter to him that they bristled at such comments. He still felt it was the right thing to do.

Cara looked slightly less upset with him. "All I did was run, I'm good at running," she remarked. Her hand moved away from the Agiel.

The rising sunlight cast a rosy hue over Cara's gray outfit, which almost made it look like the red leather she and Denna had once worn. Cara hadn't been one of his torturers, but her deadly nature was never too far from his thoughts. Though he tried hard to forget the past, he knew Mord-Sith were trained for one very specific purpose, to inflict pain. He did not know if any of his kind words would ever get through to them but he planned to keep trying. "Cara…" he paused a moment as his eyes fell from her face to her neck. In the growing light of morning he could see the deep red lines that Kahlan's fingers had left behind. He was certain they would bruise nicely. "Are you alright?" he finally asked.

She shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be?" her question was defensive.

"Because what happened earlier was pretty scary," Richard pointed out.

Her mouth formed a frown that rivaled the previous scowl. "Mord-Sith do not get scared," she stated with conviction.

One hand raked through his hair. He rubbed tired eyes with the other. Richard moved the hand on his head down the back of his neck and tried to massage some of the tension out of his knotted muscles. "Well, I was scared," Richard admitted. "And I love Kahlan more than anything."

Cara relaxed her stance and rolled her neck, relieving some of the ache from having run non-stop to fetch Zedd. They had found horses to ride back but they'd ridden hard, wishing to return as quickly as possible. "What happened to her?" Cara's voice was softer, though still clipped and point-of-fact as was usual for the Mord-Sith.

"Blood rage," he answered honestly. "It's something that happens to Confessors occasionally," Richard relayed, though he didn't know much about it himself. "It occurred once before when Darken Rahl and his wizard Giller were trying to steal Kahlan's power. In this case, I'd say protecting Leigha was a driving force behind the rage." Richard shrugged, not knowing if he was explaining it very well.

"But she attacked me, as if she didn't know who I was," Cara pointed out. "I thought she could control her power." The woman had learned that from the stories she'd heard shortly after joining with Denna to protect the Seeker.

Richard nodded. "Her… regular power, yes," he wasn't exactly sure how to clarify it all. "But this blood rage is very different. She has no control over it. Kahlan told me that a Confessor must learn about the Con Dar, as she called it, from her mother."

"Then why didn't she?" Cara asked.

"She was only five when her mother died," Richard revealed. He watched as the Mord-Sith's eyes glistened with unshed tears. It was not the reaction he'd been expecting. His stomach tightened and he wondered what sort of memories had been conjured in Cara's mind as they spoke about dead mothers. Richard could only guess that she remembered very little about her mother, if anything. He knew that Mord-Sith were taken at a very young age.

Cara looked him in the eye, her composure resumed. "For a moment, before you stopped me from using my Agiel on her, I tried to reach out and grasp her power. I thought that I could turn it around on her, but I failed. The strength of it was like nothing I have ever felt before," she admitted.

He figured that was about as close as Cara would ever come to letting him know that she had been afraid. Richard imagined that the rage had fed on Kahlan's love for Leigha. He knew the immense power that love could wield, but he had a feeling that a mother's love for her child was something in a category all its own. "I think you were very lucky that Kahlan was weakened by her injury. Otherwise, I fear she may have…"

"Richard!"

Their conversation was severed by Denna's shout. He and Cara sprinted toward the cabin. They both instantly noticed that Zedd's large body was lying slumped over on the hard floor beside the bed. Richard went to his grandfather. "What happened?" he looked around the room, to Denna and then to Hammond who was feeding Leigha. The baby wore a happy grin on her face as runny porridge trailed down her chin. Richard was grateful that she seemed unfazed by the chaos around her.

"He passed out," Denna replied. "I called for your help to move him," she explained.

Richard was reassured by the steady rise and fall of his grandfather's chest, though he wished Denna had not sounded quite so urgent in her simple request. He'd had his share of worry for one night. Looking up, Richard was pleased to see that Kahlan's wound had been closed completely. There was a rather jagged line of lumpy flesh there but at least it was no longer bleeding. Zedd had obviously exhausted himself from the effort. "Denna, go to the barn and retrieve Zedd's bed roll. I want everyone to stay in this cabin until the bodies are burned and we are ready to leave."

Denna brought the bedding back and she and Richard carefully rolled the old man onto it, cushioning his head. Richard left Hammond to watch over those in the cabin while Denna and Cara followed him back outside. The three of them stood in a row and watched the funeral pyre that had been set. Cara stood to Richard's left and Denna to his right. No words were spoken over the body of their fallen comrade. Only silent prayers were sent out to protect her spirit.

Richard bent down and pulled the knife from his boot, the one he'd found buried in Alina's chest. He moved toward the fire and heated the blade in the blaze. Her dried blood melted away and dripped into the flames, causing the fire to hiss. When it was clean he removed the knife from the fire and held it away from his body to cool. He looked down at the mass of flesh that was Alina, already burned beyond recognition.

"The next of these men that I see, I will kill with this blade," he vowed.

They each stayed until the last of the fire died out from lack of fuel. Flesh had turned to ash but the blaze hadn't been nearly hot enough to incinerate bone. Assured that no one would be able to identify the remains, they didn't bother to burry what was left. With that task completed, Richard ordered Denna and Cara to prepare for their departure. He didn't care that Zedd and Kahlan were not exactly up to traveling yet. Richard felt that they needed to flee as quickly as possible.

By late afternoon, they were on the move, leaving behind the home they'd shared for many weeks. Richard rode one of the horses that Cara and Zedd had brought back from town. He carried Kahlan in front of him in the saddle, her head resting on his shoulder. Denna rode the second horse with Leigha cradled in one arm and Zedd strapped securely on a travois behind her beast. Hammond carried a large pack and ambled along between the two horses. Cara carted more of their gear on her back and circled them all as they moved through the sparse woods. She kept a focused eye on every direction all at once.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Part 3**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

Richard felt awkward lying beside his wife on the narrow bed, knowing that three other people were in the room with them, four counting the baby. Zedd was sprawled out on another bed across the room. Hammond was propped up in a chair in the corner, snoring loudly as he slept in the uncomfortable looking position. Denna was standing guard by the door, hands behind her back in a casual stance. All of that in a room smaller than the cabin they had recently vacated.

He stuffed down his unease and placed a hand against Kahlan's forehead. Richard smiled as he caught a glimpse of Leigha who was lying on her back between the wall and Kahlan. The baby had a hold of her left foot and was stuffing it into her mouth, sucking on her little toes. Richard's attention turned back to his wife when he heard her moan. He looked down and watched as her eyelids slowly fluttered open.

"Is it morning?" Kahlan asked, moving her head to look around.

Richard nodded. "It's morning, again," he replied. His hand smoothed over her hair. "You've been asleep since yesterday." He noticed the distinct look of confusion on her face upon that revelation. "Some men attacked us and you were hurt. We had to leave. We're at an inn right now," Richard let her know.

They had only traveled as far as the nearest town, the one she had helped with their water issue. He and Denna had figured it would be easier hiding in a crowded township, at least for a short time while Kahlan and Zedd recovered. Richard followed Kahlan's eyes and noticed that she'd settled her gaze upon Zedd. "He's fine," Richard quickly assured her. "Just sleeping like you've been doing." He smiled to reinforce the words.

Kahlan moved one arm beneath the blanket covering her. She ran her fingers across the skin on her left side. "He healed me," she knew that it was true even before Richard nodded a confirmation. "Will he be all right?" Kahlan asked.

"Yes, he'll be fine…" Zedd's voice answered her from across the room. "He'd be even better if people would stop talking and let him sleep."

Richard glanced over his shoulder and was pleased to see his grandfather awake. "Sorry, Zedd," he apologized.

Zedd sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He waved off Richard's apology with one hand and smiled. "Not to worry. My stomach was about to wake me anyhow," he sniffed at the air and frowned. "What is that awful smell?"

In the corner, Hammond snorted loudly, waking himself. He leaned forward in his chair and blinked away sleep as he noticed that everyone around him was awake. "I made food," he announced, as if he'd heard Zedd's words in his sleep. The man stood and ambled his way over to the stone fireplace at the other end of the room. A cast iron pot was secured by a hanger, hovering above the low flame. Hammond went straight to the task of fixing two bowls, ladling in thick green soup with lumps of potato.

He handed one wood bowl to Richard and the second to Zedd. The wizard sniffed at the bowl's contents and looked wary of the meal, but a growl from his stomach caused him to dig in. Zedd was nearly done with his serving by the time Richard had helped Kahlan sit up so she could take her first bite. Richard scooped Leigha up and placed her on his lap as he sat beside Kahlan. He encouraged his wife to eat as Zedd began to fix himself a second helping of the soup.

"Hammond," Zedd addressed the man who had returned to his chair. He recalled the name from what Cara had told him on their rush to return to the cabin the other night. Zed sat back on his bed, bowl in hand. "Please tell me what you know about these fairytale people, the Tromani, which you seem to think are the ones who attacked my family and friends."

"Fairytale?" Denna spoke up. She let her hands fall to her sides. "We saw these men, wizard. _You_ saw them. They were no fairytale," she declared, turning toward Hammond. "But there were ten of them and not nine as you told us."

"Dear spirits," Hammond shook his head. "I meant to tell you all about that but the three of you took off so quickly," he fidgeted with the book that was still safely hanging around his neck. He sat back in his seat further. "You see…"

"Wait a minute," Richard put a hand up to halt the man, who looked to be about ready to launch into a lengthy story. He turned his attention to Denna. "Get Cara. I'd like for us all to hear this at the same time."

Denna did as he asked, opening the door and beckoning Cara in from the dimly lit hall where she'd been keeping watch. Both of the women were beyond the point of tiredness after all that had happened, but they maintained that they were fine and insisted on keeping watch. Richard hadn't been in a mood to try to fight them on the matter. The two of them stepped inside the room, closing the door behind them. They stood on either side of the old wood partition. Denna nodded to Richard, signaling to him that they were ready.

Richard looked to his grandfather instead of Hammond. "First, I'd like to know why you think these Tromani are something from a fairytale."

Zedd shrugged his big shoulders and tipped his head to one side as he finished a mouthful of soup. "Well, I think perhaps the word, nightmare, would be a more accurate thing to say about them," he began. "The only time I have ever heard of them was in stories meant to frighten children. I have been around for rather a long time and have yet to find a shred of evidence that indicates the Tromani actually exist," he concluded.

"You see me, don't you wizard Zorander?" From across the room, Hammond looked Zedd in the eye. He waited for the wizard to nod. "Then you have your evidence. I come from the same land as these Tromani assassins, the northern land above the mountains of Aydindril," he proclaimed.

"Above Aydindril?" Zedd's mouth hung open for a moment as he thought about that piece of information. "There is nothing up there but ice," he finally replied.

"Not so," Hammond countered, shaking his head. "There is land between the mountains and the frozen sea to our north. It is much colder than down here in the main land of the Midlands, but it is still livable," he was adamant.

Cara rolled her eyes. "We don't care about the weather there," she spoke up, wearing a one sided frown as she eyed the rotund little man. "Knowing more about how these assassins operate would be a better help to us," she snapped.

"Yes, such as explaining the tenth member of their hunting party," Richard added to Cara's inquire, getting back to the question that Denna had posed earlier.

Hammond stroked one ear. "It is rather simple, you see, three groups are sent out. The three are for the three directions surrounding our land that must be protected; east, west and south. To the north is the frozen sea, the ice of which you know," he looked to Zedd. "No one can harm us from that direction. So, the Tromani work in threes, for many years this is the way it has been. For thousands of years Tromani guards were trained to keep our land safe. But, when I was a boy, a man with evil in his heart took over the rule of our land. He turned our guards into assassins for hire."

"How is all this simple?" Denna question the man, who seemed to be rambling.

He dismissed her comment and continued. "People in the Midlands and in D'Hara pay for the services of these men because they are normally very discreet, hence the reason they are often thought to be a thing of stories, phantoms. Now they send out the three groups to scout their target. The tenth man is the true assassin. The others create a distraction so that no one suspects the tenth man is in hiding, waiting to strike."

Richard thought it sounded plausible enough, and not an entirely bad plan of attack. The D'Haran quads had rarely been able to take them by surprise the way the Tromani had spread out and ambushed them. There were still plenty questions in his head, though. "But doesn't creating these distractions often put the other nine in danger? Alina killed all those that came after her," he pointed out. "I'm guessing that the fourth she killed was this true assassin?"

"The fourth she killed may have been the true assassin," Hammond shrugged. "The other nine forfeit their lives willingly for the job," he revealed. "If the true assassin dies, another in the group takes his place, which is why the six went after the Mother Confessor and the child. They will fight to the last man. They believe it is all for the good of our people, to keep our land safe. They are all born and bred for nothing but fighting," he concluded.

Cara's brows knitted together for a moment. "They are like Mord-Sith," she noted.

"In a way," Hammond agreed.

Richard took a deep breath. He hated to think about more groups of soldiers born and trained solely for the purpose of dying. It all seemed an insane way of life to him. It wasn't life at all as far as he was concerned. "You said these men were mentioned in the prophecy about Leigha," he tried to redirect the conversation.

"What prophecy?" Kahlan asked. She turned to Richard.

"It's, uh…" he looked to Hammond for some help. Richard had forgotten that she knew nothing about what Hammond had told them when they'd found Alina. He realized that she didn't even know Alina was dead. He looked at the forgotten bowl of soup in her lap and he took one of her hands in his.

The old man removed the leather pouch from around his neck and carefully slid the book out. He flipped through it and paused when he reached a certain page. _"Darkness from the land between mountains and ice shall rain down, snuffing out the light of the twice blessed one. For, if the child of two truths is to wield the power of Orden, the three lands will crumble."_ He handed over the book to Kahlan and she silently read the words again. Richard read over her shoulder. The Tromani were not mentioned specifically, but considering they had been the ones to attack the day before, Richard could only conclude that they were indeed the darkness of which the prophecy spoke.

Richard was starting to hate prophecy. It had caused him nothing but trouble, being pulled from his life and made to kill Darken Rahl. In the process he had gotten thousands of other people killed in the war against evil. Leigha grabbed one of his hands and brought it to her mouth. She sucked on his fingers. He closed his eyes a moment and remembered that, if not for prophesy, he never would have met Kahlan. They would not be married and Leigha never would have existed. It was a realization that he often came to while lamenting the tragic occurrences in his life. It always served to remind him that he had gifts greater than any simple life in the woods could have offered him.

"Then it seems simple enough," Richard quickly resumed his role as Seeker. "We destroy the boxes of Orden and thereby stop whatever is meant to happen from happening," he declared.

"Easier said than done, my boy," Zedd spoke up again, shaking his head with uncertainty. "The magic of Orden has been around for a lot longer than any of us have been alive. Not even I know how to go about destroying it. Not to mention the first obvious fact, which is, we don't have any of the boxes with us at the moment."

"But we know where two of them are," Kahlan replied to Zedd's last statement. She was still trying to wrap her mind around everything in short order, having to catch up with where Richard's head was. "Jennsen and Hammond hid two of the boxes, the ones we had with us. They are somewhere safe near the library outside of Thandor," she revealed.

"And the third?" Hammond asked.

Richard sighed. "The third box is at the People's Palace, as far as I know. The D'Harans took it from us when Zedd and I were captured." He shook his head. "And I never even thought to search for it when we fled. Rahl was dead; I guess I figured it wasn't necessary to worry about it."

"Not to mention we had so much else to think about at the time," Zedd chimed in. "It was not your fault, Richard." The old man tried to reason with his grandson, knowing the guilt he carried for things that were beyond his control.

Richard silently thought out their options for a moment. He played out different ways of going about it all but he always came back to the one that he liked the least. "We'll have to retrieve all of the boxes if we ever hope to destroy them," he stated the obvious first. Richard gulped down his nervousness and decided to make his full plan known. "Zedd and Denna can go to Thandor with Hammond. They'll secure the two boxes and wait for us," he looked to his wife. "Kahlan and I will go to the Palace with Cara and get the last box."

Kahlan frowned. "You want to take Leigha to the People's Palace? It's probably still crawling with D'Harans loyal to Darken Rahl. They might even be in on all of this. Hammond said the Tromani are hired assassins, what if it's the D'Harans who hired them?"

"It is a possibility, a very likely one that has already crossed my mind," Richard nodded and took another deep breath before he revealed the final part of his plan. "That's why I think Leigha should go to Thandor with the others. She'll be safe there."

Silence blanketed the room until Zedd cleared his throat loudly. He stood up, his head nearly hitting on the low ceiling. Zedd placed his empty bowl down on the hearth. "This food is atrocious," he declared. "I think I'm going to go down to the dinning hall and see if Greta might have anything more palatable to eat. Hammond," Zedd waved a big hand in the man's direction. "Why don't you come along with me, I'd like to bend your ear some more about this land of yours."

Zedd ushered the man out of the room. Denna and Cara followed them, not feeling the need to make up any excuses for their departure. Richard knew that the two women had probably just moved as far as the other side of the door, still keeping watch. He hoped one of them would follow Zedd and Hammond. With everyone gone, Richard bravely turned to face his wife, shifting Leigha on his lap as he did so. Kahlan was fiddling with the wooden spoon in her bowl. She hadn't eaten much. "I have a reason, if you'd like to hear it?" he ventured.

"That she'll be safer in Thandor?" Kahlan guessed, looking up at him. "You already mentioned that."

"That is one part of it," Richard agreed. She didn't look angry, nor did she look at all pleased. He could not really describe what it was he was seeing on her face.

Leigha reached out to Kahlan but she ignored the little girl. "What else is there?"

Richard was worried about his wife's attitude. He knew she was probably still a bit sore from her injury but he had never seen her ignore Leigha for any reason. He tried to shake off the worry in his heart and went about explaining his reason. "How would you track a baby?" Richard asked, receiving only an odd look from his wife. "The answer is that you can't, not specifically. Leigha can't walk or leave prints, so, anyone trying to track her would have to track the people that she's with. And who are the most likely people to travel with a baby?"

"Her parents," Kahlan replied woodenly, easily catching on. "Then she should go with Zedd and Denna. You're right, she'll be safe at Thandor," she agreed.

"That's it?" Richard shifted Leigha to his shoulder to deter her restless nature. "No argument?"

Kahlan shook her head. "Why should I argue when it's the best thing for our daughter?"

"Well, because two days ago you didn't even want to consider leaving her with Zedd for a few hours. Now you seem to be completely all right with leaving her for, I don't even know how long it might take us. It could be several weeks before we see her again." He didn't mean to sound harsh nor did he wish to frighten her, but he wanted to be sure she understood exactly what was going to happen if they left Leigha behind.

"A lot has happened since then," Kahlan stirred the cold soup but still wasn't eating it. "A few days ago six men came after her with the intent to kill. And I nearly…"

"You nearly what, Kahlan?" Richard pressed, hoping he was getting closer to why she was being so aloof. She had always been the rock that he counted on. He wasn't accustomed to seeing her look so lost. "You saved Leigha, is what you did." Richard watched as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. He took one of her hands in his. "Talk to me, please." It broke his heart to see her cry.

"I did things to those men, Richard, things I didn't know I could do. I commanded their arrows and knives with nothing more than a thought. I wished for them to die and they did," she struggled to control her wavering voice. "But that wasn't even the worst part. After I killed those six men…" she gulped down her fear of revealing the truth to him. "I was aware of some things, but my actions were not…" Kahlan's eyes went to Leigha and she sniffed back her tears. "I was standing over her bed and I reached out a hand toward her. I wanted to touch her cheek like I always do to calm her, but I knew my power would destroy her. I wasn't in control."

"Kahlan, you didn't hurt her," Richard was quick to assure her.

She shook her head. "Because I passed out before I could touch her. But I was alert again when Cara came near me. I knew she wasn't a threat but I hurt her. I could have done the same to Leigha. What if I had hurt my own child?" She looked away, her bottom lip quivering. "My father hurt his children. What if I'm like him?"

Richard lifted her chin. "You would never hurt Leigha." He shook his head, believing the words he spoke with all his heart. "The blood rage is strong but I got through to you, you didn't hurt me. I don't think you could have hurt her either."

"You don't know that," Kahlan looked away again. "When I was eleven years old my father forced me to help him steal the treasure of Arkam. It was a sword that was used by every Regent of Arkam since the city was founded over three thousand years ago. There was one armed soldier who stood watch at night over the chamber where the sword was kept. My father told me to distract the guard, so I did. I told the man that my sister was hurt and needed help. He followed me to where Dennee was, but when he realized she wasn't hurt, he… he got upset."

"Kahlan, you don't have to tell me this story," Richard sensed the awful direction her tale was headed.

She looked him in the eye. "It's important for you to understand," Kahlan went on. "The guard tried to, he tried to kiss Dennee and touch her… she was only eight years old. I got him away from her but then he came after me in the same way. I didn't want to confess him but, he nearly…" she couldn't say all the words, but she could see that Richard understood anyway. He squeezed her hand tighter. "Before he could go any further I did finally confess him. It didn't matter in the end because my father killed him, not wanting any witnesses."

"I'm sorry your father ever put you in that kind of position, Kahlan."

"That's not all," she took another shaky breath. "That night my father did not bind us to our beds. It was his way of thanking us for our help. After he'd drunk himself to sleep I slipped out of my bed and I found the knife that he always kept in his boot. I took that knife and I stood over him, I held it to his throat. I wanted to kill him for what he'd done to us."

"Kahlan, I…"

"I didn't hurt him," she revealed. "But I wanted to. I'm no better than he was."

"Yes you are, Kahlan. You had every reason to want to hurt him, but you didn't because you are a good person. You would never put Leigha in that kind of situation. I don't think you could hurt her." He remained steadfast in his beliefs. "If this fear of harming Leigha is the only reason you've agreed to my plan so easily then it's for the wrong reason. You have nothing to prove to me. I trust you." He finally stopped trying to restrain the baby and watched as she turned instantly to working her way toward Kahlan again. "Hold her," he knew she needed it even more than Leigha.

Kahlan handed him her bowl and carefully took Leigha from him. She felt a slight twinge of pain in her side as Leigha stepped on her upper thighs. "Hello my beautiful girl," Kahlan softly whispered in Leigha's ear as the baby put her head against her mother's shoulder.

Richard sat the bowl aside and put a hand to Leigha's back. He leaned in and tickled the girl on her tummy. Leigha giggled and buried her head further against Kahlan's shoulder. "Tell your mama that she is being foolish, worrying so much," he spoke to the girl. "Say, mama, stop being so foolish. I know you would never hurt me. I love you, mama." Leigha grabbed a bunch of Kahlan's long hair and tugged on it.

"I want her to go to Thandor with Zedd and Denna," Kahlan announced as Leigha tried to stuff the hair into her mouth. Kahlan carefully pried her hair free. "Not because I'm afraid that I will hurt her, but because I'm afraid these assassins will. You're right, they will track us. She will be safest at Thandor. If you trust Zedd and Denna then so do I." She looked Richard in the eye. "I let Denna kill me because I knew that you trusted her, so I trusted her too. I forgot that for a while."

He smiled. "I know you were the only one there for Dennee for a long time. There was no one there for you, no one you could lean on. You had to be strong for your sister and for yourself. But you have people in your life now who are supportive, who want to help you. You have me and Zedd, even Denna and Cara. You don't have to do things all on your own anymore, Kahlan."

She nodded, grateful of his words. "I know that now."

He caressed Leigha's soft hair and looked Kahlan in the eye. "Are you sure about this?"

"No," Kahlan shook her head and held the baby even closer. "I hate it," she let him know. "But it's the right thing to do."

**xxx**

Kahlan sat on the edge of the bed and clothed the straw doll in Leigha's dress. It was the one she had made for her daughter out of soft green cotton. She had even tried her hand at stitching a white flower on the front of the dress. It was a little sloppy, but not too bad for a first try. Kahlan still remembered the somewhat shocked look on Richard's face the first time he'd witnessed her sewing on the dress, never having seen her perform such a domestic task before. He always delighting in surprising her, but that time she had been pleased to surprise him.

At the moment, as she smoothed a hand over the dress, she was surprised to find that her will had remained strong. Kahlan knew that being separated from her baby girl would not be easy but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make to keep Leigha safe. Their plan had taken shape quickly after the idea took hold, and they were due to depart shortly. In less than one day they had organized everything that needed doing. They would be off again before the sun rose in an hour's time.

She placed the fake baby in a swath of grey fabric that would serve as a sling. Richard had used the other one to bandage her wound and it hadn't been salvageable. The straw doll was a decent enough looking decoy. Richard had done well to stuff the cream colored fabric and tie it at the bottom. He'd also wrapped a string around the top half to form a head. Leigha's dress fit it perfectly and, lying inside the sling, Kahlan knew that even she would have difficulty telling the difference between the doll and her daughter from a distance.

The real Leigha made her presence known, crawling dangerously close to the edge of the bed. Kahlan reached out and caught her. She sat the girl down upon her lap and regarded the attire Leigha had been dressed in. Hammond had acquired the brown pants and blue shirt for the child. With her short dark hair, Leigha easily looked like a boy. Kahlan smiled, thinking that the girl resembled Richard even more than usual.

He entered the room just as her thoughts turned to him. "Hammond and Cara should be back from the stable soon," Richard announced, closing the door shut behind him. "Everything else is falling into place. Zedd darkened his hair." He grinned. "And Denna cut her hair, not all of it, but enough to make a difference. It's not braided either and she's dressed in a pale blue cloak." Richard shook his head. "She is not amused," he concluded, smile still in place.

Kahlan frowned at her husband. "Richard, you should not be so amused," she admonished. "Denna has agreed to help Zedd keep our daughter safe."

"I know," he sighed. "I'm sorry, but it helps take my mind off of what we're about to do." Richard looked to his daughter with sad eyes.

Kahlan nodded and bit her bottom lip to keep her own emotions at bay. Leigha laid her head down on her mother's shoulder and Kahlan kissed the baby's cheek. She and Richard were startled by the knock at their door. He cautiously answered the call and allowed the inn keeper, Greta, to enter. "Ze… uh, Ruben wanted me to let you know that they are ready," the middle-aged woman relayed, being sure to use Zedd's alias as she discussed things. None of them had seen anyone suspicious hanging around the town, but they wanted to be as careful as possible.

"Thank you for all your help," Richard spoke as he saw the woman out. He turned to Kahlan. "Are you ready?"

"Not really," she shook her head, glancing to Leigha again. The little girl had fallen asleep against her shoulder. "But I guess we should be going."

Richard kept a smile on his face, hoping to reassure her as he helped gather their things. He carefully placed a blanket over Kahlan's left shoulder, covering up the baby. He wanted to keep her hidden until everything was in place. He shouldered his pack and took Kahlan's bag in his right hand; the sling with their fake baby was in his left. Kahlan carried the small bag that she had packed for Leigha and the three of them left the cramped room behind.

Several minutes later, they entered the large dinning and meeting hall on the main floor of the inn. It was empty aside from Zedd and Denna who made their way over to join the group. Hammond and Cara arrived shortly after everyone else had gathered. Cara looked somewhat disgruntled but Hammond seemed content. "I told you not to show up so soon after I did," the hot-headed Mord-Sith spoke to the old man.

"The stable keeper did not suspect that we knew each other," Hammond spoke calmly as he turned to Zedd and Denna. "I exchanged our two horses for three slightly less healthy creatures," he relayed the information. "We can procure others as needed along the way."

"I was able to get three horses as well," Cara piped up, looking to Richard for approval.

He nodded. "Good." Richard turned to his wife, knowing it was time to say their goodbyes.

Kahlan faced Zedd and Denna. It took every ounce of courage she had to keep from falling apart in front of them. She held out the bag and Zedd took it in one hand. "There are a dozen diaper cloths in there and plenty of pins. Be sure to check her often, she's had a rash for a few days. I put some ointment in there too. It has aloe in it to sooth the rash." She felt her voice start to falter and took a deep breath. "And there is a water bladder for her; it's filled with a diluted soybean mixture." Kahlan couldn't bear to think that she wasn't going to be able to nurse her daughter the way she had since birth. "It's easy to make and…"

"Child," Zedd stopped her torrent of words and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He smiled down at her. "I took care of Richard those first few weeks of his life. And he turned out just fine, didn't he?" the wizard chuckled.

A tear rolled down her cheek, despite Zedd's words. Kahlan nodded. "I know," she whispered.

Richard watched her, putting a hand to her other shoulder. No one spoke for a long time before he finally prodded her. "Kahlan, we need to go." He used one hand to draw down the blanket covering Leigha. Richard kissed the baby against her temple and whispered in her small ear. "I love you. Be safe my little mud princess." He kissed her again and stepped back.

Kahlan looked at Leigha. She felt bad for leaving the girl while she was asleep, but she also thought it would probably be easier for the baby that way. Kahlan couldn't say the words like Richard had, but she silently pressed her feelings of love to Leigha's forehead with a kiss. Before she could rethink their entire plan, she passed the baby into Zedd's arms and turned to face Denna. "Do you remember the promise I made to you when I left you with Richard and Zedd before?" Kahlan watched the woman nod, seeing that she recalled the encounter quite clearly. "Well, everything I said then goes doubly so in regard to my daughter. If even one hair on her head is…"

"I will hand you the blade myself, with which to slit my throat," Denna vowed.

The answer was sincere. She could see that in the woman's eyes. Kahlan felt Richard's hand take hers and she turned away quickly, not wanting to look at Leigha again for fear she wouldn't be able to leave the baby. Richard walked at her side and Cara followed after them. Once outside they mounted up quickly and headed off in the cover of darkness. Kahlan sat atop her stead and stroked the straw doll that rested in the sling over her shoulder. She prayed to the good spirits to look after her daughter.

**xxx**

Kahlan was lying on her side with her back to him and her head in his lap. Firelight flickered across her cheek as Richard watched his wife. They had ridden all day, from dawn till dusk. The terrain they were crossing was mountainous and rugged but Kahlan had not wanted to slow down. He had a pretty good feeling that she was hoping to get to the palace and back to Leigha as swiftly as possible. Richard knew it was going to take at least several days travel there and several back, but he'd allowed her this first day to ride out her frustrations.

He was startled out of his thoughts when she sat up without warning. "What's wrong?"

She looked around for a moment, as if searching for something. "Nothing, I just thought…" Kahlan shook her head. "I was asleep, I must have been dreaming."

"You weren't asleep," Richard replied. "I've slept beside you many nights, Kahlan. I know what you sound like when you sleep."

Kahlan smiled wanly. "I'm sure you do," she laid down again, placing her head in his lap the way it had been before. "No one knows me like you do. What I told you about my father before, not even Dennee knows what I did that night." Kahlan sighed. "I heard Leigha crying," she finally admitted to what had startled her before. "At least, I thought I did."

Richard ran a comforting hand over her head and down along her shoulder. "Then maybe you should sing to her," he suggested. Her body shifted as she turned to look up at him with questioning eyes. "You always sing to her every night, maybe it will help you sleep," he shrugged. "And maybe, somehow, she'll hear you."

Kahlan dismissed the proposal at first but the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of keeping the ritual. Her voice was barely above a whisper. _"Where the river meets the meadow and the tall tress grow all around, that's where they will roam. But until that bright day comes along, their hearts shall be their home."_ The tune was one that she'd made up especially for Leigha, but also for herself and Richard.

He watched her shield her face from him, and listened as she tried to quietly sniff away her sorrow. Richard reached over and grabbed her pack. He rummaged through it looking for something she could blow her nose on. What he found instead surprised him. "Why is Smokey in your bag?" He asked, sitting the gray rabbit on her shoulder.

"What?" Kahlan sat up again and snatched the toy from his hands. "I thought I put him in Leigha's bag, he wasn't supposed to be with us," her voice was frantic. "Richard, she needs Smokey to sleep with. What if she…"

"Kahlan," he gently held her shoulders. "Leigha will be fine without the rabbit." Richard could see her chest heaving as she clutched the stuffed animal. He knew she wasn't going to be fine without Leigha. "We'll turn back in the morning. If we ride hard it will probably only take us a day and a half to meet up with the others. They'll be traveling slower."

She didn't look away from the rabbit. "But we have to get to the palace."

"We will, we'll just have to make a new plan." Richard pulled her close and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Seeker! Mother Confessor!" Cara burst through the trees in front of them and they both jumped to their feet. Kahlan dropped the rabbit. Richard drew his sword. The Mord-Sith looked over her shoulder. "A group of three, they're right behind me," she barely managed to get the words out before their small camp was showered with arrows.

The arrows flew at them from different directions, not just from behind Cara. Kahlan and Cara dodged several of the weapons. Richard used his sword to cut down several more. Others embedded into the ground. It was silent only for a moment before the trees parts all around them and emitted darkly cloaked men, the same they had fought before. Kahlan crouched low and grabbed her weapons. Richard ran one man threw as Cara took another out with her Agiel. Kahlan joined the fight and slit a man's throat before he could even think to raise a weapon at her. They all went after another foe.

"Richard! Behind you!" Kahlan's call was one of warning as she watched an arrow hurdling toward her husband. Richard swiftly finished off the man he'd been fighting and avoided the arrow just in time. He looked up and caught movement deep within the line of trees. With sword in hand, he took off for the man who he suspected to be the true assassin of the group that was attacking them. Richard ran as fast as he could, leaping over fallen trees and expertly dodging rocks and other branches.

He caught the man from behind and tackled him to the ground. Richard wrestled with his attacker. The man was strong. They both lost their swords and resorted to using nothing but their fists. The enemy was quick and powerful as he laid into Richard. His punches were carefully calculated and did plenty of damage. Richard took them in stride and gave back as good as he received. He rolled the man toward an old tree stump and pinned him against it. Richard beat his face bloody but the man came back just as strong and managed to get free. He kicked Richard in the stomach and sent the Seeker flying into another tree. He slumped to the ground at its base.

Richard gasped for each breath as he watched the man approach slowly. He remembered something and reached for it just as the attacker came to stand in front of him. Richard sprung to his feet and thrust the blade of his knife into the man's chest. He watched as the assassin fell to his knees. Richard went down with him, still holding the blade's handle. He twisted it in further and sneered at the man. "That's for a woman who learned to be more than what she was trained for." He got to his feet and watched as the man's eyes rolled back into his head. Richard left the knife behind, having done what he promised Alina at her funeral pyre.

He retrieved his sword and rushed back to the camp, winded but still ready for a fight. Richard couldn't help being proud of Kahlan and Cara as he counted nine men laying lifeless about the camp. His eyes caught on Kahlan as she knelt on the ground beside their bed rolls. He couldn't tell what she was doing at first until she sat back to reveal the doll that they had dressed in Leigha's clothing. There was an arrow protruding from the stuffed child's chest, one they had obviously not seen in all the chaos of the fight. He watched as Kahlan removed it and inspected the hole in Leigha's green dress.

Kahlan looked up at him with a grim expression upon her face. "We're not turning back in the morning," she declared.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Part 4**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

Kahlan sat by the fire, across from Cara. The moon above them was barely more than a sliver of light and did little to illuminate the area. The fire was kept low deliberately, so as not to announce their presence to anyone who might be lurking about. Cara seemed somewhat upset by having to stay at the camp rather than being out on watch. Richard was patrolling the boundary where they'd stopped to rest. He had instructed them both to get some sleep.

"You really should get some rest," Kahlan spoke, clutching her daughter's stuffed rabbit in one hand. She glanced at the fake child by her feet. The rip in Leigha's dress would need to be mended. Richard had tried to assure her that they would have been more alert if Leigha had really been with them. Kahlan feared they might not have in the heat of battle. Doubts were starting to eat at her again. "You've barely slept since all of this started, you must be tired. I can wait for Richard to come back," she offered.

"I'm not tired. Mord-Sith train for sleep deprivation."

Kahlan groaned inwardly. Trying to make conversation with the Mord-Sith was never an easy task. It was slightly less aggravating with Denna, but only by a small margin. "Just because you were trained for it, doesn't make it right."

Cara shrugged off the comment and tossed a stick into the fire. "Does it hurt you?"

"Does what hurt?" Kahlan was puzzled by the odd question

Cara stared at the flames as they danced all around the small twig that she'd thrown in. Sparks floated up toward the dark sky and slowly faded as they burned out. "That thing that happened to you, the blood rage. Does it hurt you?"

It was not what Kahlan had expected, thinking perhaps Cara had been concerned about her separation from the baby. She nodded. "Very much."

"Then perhaps that is how you need to take control of it." Cara looked up and into Kahlan's eyes. In the dim light they looked yellow like the flames. She remembered them as being red the night the Mother Confessor had attacked her. "The Agiel gives us pain but we are taught to withstand it. We are also taught to endure many other things, like lack of sleep. Perhaps you could learn how to endure this pain."

Kahlan was surprised by the Mord-Sith's train of thought. "Are you afraid of me, Cara?" She decided to ask the question outright, curious why the woman was trying to find a solution to the problem of not being able to control her power.

"Mord-Sith are not afraid of anything."

"That's not what I asked." Kahlan deliberately laced her words with disappointment, trying to search out a new way of relating to the woman. Cara didn't seem to want friendship, so Kahlan wondered perhaps if she was testing her boundaries. She remembered the Mord-Sith hierarchy, which had briefly placed her at the top.

"I don't understand your power," Cara spoke. The defensiveness in her tone faded a little. "The unknown is not something Mord-Sith care for. We pride ourselves on knowing every weakness of our enemy, knowing how to counter any strike. You're different, and you are our leader. A degree of fear for the one who rules us is necessary to maintain order."

"I abdicated that position to Denna," Kahlan reminded her.

"In words only."

Kahlan decided not to challenge the subject, as it seemed a futile battle. "Cara, what you said about me being able to overcome the blood rage by enduring the pain. What exactly did you mean by that?"

"I meant that you could learn to push past the pain, find a place within where the pain can not touch you. If you can feel the pain but not be ruled by it, like the Mord-Sith do with their Agiel, then it will be yours to rule however you see fit."

"And I would be able to control it, bring it forth and turn it off all on my own?"

"That is how Mord-Sith use the Agiel. We decide how and when it shall be used, because of our ability to control it. I do not see why it would be any different for you."

An idea sprung to Kahlan's mind. It was absurd and, at the same time, alluring. "Cara, could you teach me this?" she asked, still somewhat uncertain. But thoughts of Richard and Leigha were clouding her judgment. She wished only for them to be safe. Kahlan still feared that the blood rage, if left unchecked, would one day endanger both of them. "Could you help me learn how to control the pain, how to endure it?"

Cara seemed hesitant for the first time that Kahlan could ever recall. "You would have to… I would have to…" the Mord-Sith struggled for words. "I will not do that to you. You and the Seeker let us make a choice, to live how we wish. I will not hurt you the way I was made to hurt others."

Kahlan was surprised by the outpouring of emotion she heard in the woman's voice. "Tell me, Cara; tell me what you won't do."

The Mord-Sith seemed loathe to even speak the words, but she answered dutifully. "You could be trained to endure the touch of an Agiel, like a true Mord-Sith. It would help you better understand pain and how to block it. But I do not wish to do that to you."

"What if I ordered you to, as your Mord-Sith leader?" Kahlan felt horrible for suddenly trying to use the position to her advantage. "I don't want to hurt the people I love, Cara. The Con Dar is part of what I was made to be, against my will, just like you were trained against yours. In the blood rage I can't control my actions. I'm afraid that I might hurt Richard or Leigha. I could not live with myself knowing I hurt my own child in such a way. I need your help, Cara. But I do not wish to command you, so I will ask. Please, help me."

Cara threw another twig onto the fire and watched the flames flare up for a moment. "I will do as you ask," she reluctantly agreed.

"You have to promise me one thing," Kahlan immediately resigned herself to the decision that had just been made. "You must not tell Richard about this. He wouldn't understand."

"He will not be happy, but if that is your wish," Cara nodded her agreement.

Kahlan knew very well that he would not be happy, but it was her choice to make. She would have to deal with the consequences of her actions when the time came. "Can we start now, while Richard is on watch?"

"The Seeker is too close; he will hear you cry out."

"I will not cry out," Kahlan shook her head.

"Yes, you will." Cara did not seem at all pleased to deliver such news, but felt it was necessary.

The ground was littered with twigs and larger sticks of wood. Kahlan quickly scanned the area and found one that was just the right size for what she had in mind. She grasped it in her right hand and stood, moving toward Cara. Kahlan sat down beside the woman. The Mord-Sith was wary even as she held her Agiel in hand. Kahlan placed the stick between her teeth and bit down softly on it. She squeezed one hand around Leigha's rabbit.

Cara pressed the Agiel against Kahlan's left shoulder, as gently as possible. Kahlan sunk her teeth into the wood, but she did not cry out.

**xxx**

Even over the sound of crying, Denna could hear the rustle of something behind them. She got to her feet and spun around, Agiel in hand. The lithe woman moved away from their campfire and into the thicket of old growth forest. One hand pushed back tree limbs as she stealthily moved across the land, stalking her prey. The foliage of a large bush to her left stirred and she pounced on it. Denna looked down into the eyes of two raccoons and huffed in disappointment. Leigha cried out and the animals quickly scurried up a tree.

Denna grumbled under her breath about the pesky animals and hung the Agiel at her waist again. When she returned to camp, Zedd was still trying to quiet the baby. "She's doing a good job of scaring the animals away but her cries could alert others, such as soldiers that we do not wish to be near," Denna pointed out.

Zedd rolled his eyes at the woman's comment. "Do you think I don't know that?" his voice snapped sharply. "I'm doing the best I can. I imagine she's very hungry but she doesn't seem interested in this soy milk. And I wish I could find that rabbit of hers, scorch, sizzle… or whatever foolish thing Richard named it."

"Smokey," Denna replied as she retook her seat beside him. "You are the one who boasted about caring for Richard when he was a baby," she reminded him as she watched Hammond tend to a pot of stew that was simmering over the open flame. The man did not seem terribly interested in their troubles with the child.

"Yes…" Zedd answered in a calmer tone. "But I failed to take into consideration one very important factor; Richard was not attached to his mother when I took him away. He had not been suckled by her the way Leigha has been by Kahlan. I'm afraid this will not be as easy as I thought."

Denna scoffed. "A pity you didn't realize that before we agreed to this task, wizard." She poked at the fire with a long stick.

"Her crying does not seem to bother you," Zedd disregarded her ridicule. Leigha continued to wiggle in his arms. She took her screaming to a whole new level of irritating.

The woman shrugged. "I've been trained to tune out sounds that I do not wish to hear."

Zedd sighed, knowing he had walked right in to that answer. He instinctively understood that she was speaking about the sounds of those she had tortured over the years. After many months spent traveling with the woman, he had started to forget the past. Zedd decided to try and soothe the child with a song. "Three big black crows sit atop the cherry tree. Down swoops a hawk, flap of wings and a squawk. Caw, caw, caw, say the three as they flee." The crying did not let up and he noticed Denna staring at him with a frown. "What? I used to sing that one to Richard all the time. He loved it."

"He obviously did not have much taste in music," she replied, dryly.

"You think you could do better?"

Denna shook her head. "I do not know any songs." It was a lie. There was one song she remembered from childhood, from long before the Mord-Sith and Rahl's men had abducted her from her family. She hadn't remembered it until only recently. Several memories were starting to come back to her from that time. Denna had a feeling that breaking from Darken Rahl's rule had somehow allowed her mind to focus on things other than anger. But she was not ready to share those things. She was not sure she ever would be.

"Please, little one, I do not know what else to do for you," Zedd tried swaying her gently in his arms.

"She doesn't like that," Denna extended one hand toward the child. "Richard told me she's never been fond of being rocked." She hesitated a moment, holding her hand just above the girl's face. "I have watched the Mother Confessor do this may times." Denna let one finger make contact with Leigha's cheek and was startled by the softness of the baby's fair skin. She was accustomed to her touch causing pain, but Leigha was calmed by it.

Zedd smiled as he watched the girl settle in his arms, her cries receding at last. He was easily able to coax the tip of the water bladder to her mouth and she finally seemed happy to drink the milk. Zedd was tempted to thank the woman beside him, but he thought better of it and instead turned his attention to the man fixing their evening meal. He sniffed at the air and his stomach flopped uneasily. "Hammond, I apologize in advance for saying this but I fear your people make much better assassins than cooks."

Hammond did not seem offended by the comment. "Sister Josephine often tried to teach me the art of properly spicing food, but I was not a very good student in that regard."

"The Sisters of the Light?" Zedd was curious to know more about the man's past. "How did you come to be caretaker of the library near Thandor?" he queried as the baby in his arms began to drift off to sleep. Zedd reasoned that she had tired herself considerably with the business of crying.

"My parents sent me to live with the Sisters when I was ten years old, because of my gift. I did not know how to control it then. Anything I touched…" Hammond stirred the stew with a wooden spoon. A few seconds later the spoon vanished from sight. "Would disappear," he concluded. The spoon suddenly reappeared. "The Sisters taught me control. They thought I'd make a good caretaker of the library. If I touch any surface of the structure I can make it invisible, along with anything inside," he explained. "There are many valuable documents in that building; items they do not wish to fall into enemy hands."

"Fascinating," Zedd grinned. "And tell me more about your homeland. I'm curious to know if all the Tromani are trained as warriors such as these assassins we've encountered?"

"No," Hammond shook his head. "Most are common folk, brick makers and weavers."

Denna looked to the sleeping baby. "So why would they sell themselves as assassins, to kill an innocent child?" she asked.

"Why do any men turn to evil ways? Greed and power corrupt them," Hammond answered. "They desire more than the simple things most of us get by with. I can not explain why, only that it happens. Good must always have a counterpart of evil. It's the way the world works, unfortunately." He shrugged.

Zedd and Denna could only nod their agreement of the simple truth.

**xxx**

As they traversed the Cardith Valley near the coast, Richard noted that the birch and oak trees were already turning shades of gold and brown. That, coupled with the cool afternoon breeze that was blowing, signaled to him that autumn was rapidly turning into winter. He guided his horse closer to Kahlan's, while Cara remained out in front. He gripped the reigns in one hand and reached toward his wife with the other. Richard's fingers brushed along her shoulder. He was surprised when she recoiled from his gentle touch.

"What's wrong?" His brow furrowed and he took her right hand in his as they rode along the wide track of grassy land.

"Nothing," she answered, not even bothering to look over at him.

He accepted her word and let go of her hand, but his worry remained. Richard knew she hadn't been sleeping well. She'd asked for him to take her watch at night and he'd gladly agreed, hoping to ease some of her troubled thoughts. He longed for those first few months of their marriage. The two of them had enjoyed taking care of their daughter and Kahlan had told him stories each night about what it had been like to carry Leigha; to feel the first stirrings of their child's life. Her memories had delighted him.

Richard didn't think he could love his daughter any more, even if he had been there from the start, but he understood that Kahlan's bond with Leigha was even greater. Not just because she had carried the child and given birth to her, but also because the baby had been her only connection to him for so long. He sighed, trying to distance himself from those thoughts so he could focus on the mission ahead. It wasn't easy.

In just four days travel they had heard many things in the small towns they'd passed through. Mostly they had been keeping an ear out for news of D'Hara and more precisely, Darken Rahl. They'd heard everything, from Rahl having burned to death in his palace, to the one that Richard feared the most; that Rahl had escaped and was hiding out somewhere. He knew the latter couldn't be true but he also knew that a lot of D'Harans would choose to believe it. Rahl had become a martyr to his people.

Cara stopped her horse, causing Richard and Kahlan to do the same. His ears were on alert. In the distance he could hear a crow squawking, but over that he could hear the soft crunch of grass being stepped upon. It was not the sound of any animal's footfalls. Richard dismounted and put a finger to his lips in silent warning to Cara and Kahlan. The two women remained mounted to their beasts, both with weapons drawn. Cara with her Agiel, Kahlan with one dagger.

The sound stopped just past the denser line of trees on the coastal side. Richard drew his sword and spun around when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. The birch tree branches parted and he came face-to-face with another sword. As Richard's eyes followed the line of steel to its owner, his own sword faltered. He knew the man's face. Despite the D'Haran uniform, Richard did not wish to kill him outright. He had been a friend once, in a world of lies.

"Captain Ensor," Richard spoke the man's name and lowered the tip of his sword.

"Seeker," the tall, dark-haired man replied. "I nearly called you Dunn."

Richard remembered the name he had first given the Captain, when he'd infiltrated the D'Haran fort near Grayson. It seemed like a lifetime ago. "What are you doing here?"

"We thought you were the black soldiers we encountered before," Ensor answered. He waved with one hand toward the trees and another man emerged from behind him. "There's just the two of us out here," he let them all know.

"Black soldiers?" Richard questioned the odd terminology.

Ensor nodded and sheathed his sword in a show of amity. He stroked the thick beard at his chin. "We've never seen their kind before. They wore black armor and long capes, all black except for the gold emblems on their chest plates."

"Sword, arrow and fist?"

"Yes," Ensor nodded. "You know of them?"

Richard sighed and sheathed his sword too. He had feared meeting the man again one day, knowing he would have to fight him, and possibly even kill him. So far neither option seemed at the forefront of their minds. Richard was pleased of the fact, but still on guard. His hand remained on the hilt of his weapon. "Unfortunately, yes. They are Tromani assassins."

"The thing of fairytales?" Ensor looked askance.

"They are not fairytales," Cara spoke up, annoyed by the fact that she did not know the men standing before the Seeker. The silent one stood staring at her. She did not care for his dark eyes. Once she would have trusted any man in a D'Haran uniform, but those days were behind her. "What do you know of these men? Where did you see them?" she asked.

Kahlan remained silent as she watched the scene unfold. Richard noted her quiet. "You've seen them recently?" he asked.

"Last night," Ensor spoke briefly and then whispered to his companion, instructing the man to retrieve their horses. The soldier did as asked and disappeared through the trees. "We came across them a short distance to the north of here. There were shouts and screams and we headed toward them. All we saw were the men as they ran off. They did not seem interested in fighting us. They had already gotten their target; three women were strewn about the small camp."

Richard frowned. "Was there anything significant about these women?"

Ensor pursed his lips. "Actually, they wore black as well. Black dresses, all of them. They also had weapons with them, daggers." He looked up and over at Kahlan, remembering when she'd come to the Seeker's rescue. He eyed the blade clutched in her left hand. "They looked like your knife," he informed her.

"Where are they?" Kahlan asked; her eyes wide at the implication of his words.

"Like I said before, a ways north, probably no more than an hour's ride from here," Ensor replied as his companion returned with their horses. "We waited till morning light to try and see if the men had left any tracks."

"Take us there, to where the women are," Kahlan demanded.

Richard looked to Kahlan and then to Ensor. He had a bad feeling that he knew the women, just as Kahlan seemed to. "Please, Captain, will you show us where they are?"

The man nodded. "But you can just call me Ensor. My rank was striped to Sergeant after what happened with you," he revealed. "Rafferty…" he motioned with his head toward the man who was mounting up beside him. "He and I, and six others, we were all sent on a special mission many months ago, an important duty for Lord Rahl. I haven't seen my wife or children since the end of last winter."

"I'm sorry," Richard truly was. He'd only been away from his daughter for a few days and could not imagine being separated from her for so many months. They rode in silence after that, with Ensor and Rafferty taking the lead. Richard watched their movements carefully, still on alert around the men. He wanted to believe that Ensor wouldn't harm them, but there was no guarantee of that.

To the north they encountered a rain shower. It passed them by quickly but with enough force to drench them all to the skin. The afternoon sun was obscured by clouds on the horizon and the cold dampness made the rest of the ride uncomfortable. But the trip was quick, about an hour as Ensor had said. Richard spotted the women, laying all in a row. He suspected that Ensor and his friend had laid them out in such a manner. He knew them, as he had suspected. Richard watched as Kahlan sipped off her horse and went to her friends.

"Alana," Kahlan knelt before the young woman, her knees sinking into the soft mud that had been formed by the short storm. Her gaze took in the other two. "Tara, Erin," she turned to Richard and then glanced to Ensor. "Were they dead when you found them? How long have they been this way?"

Ensor and Richard climbed down off their horses. "Two were already gone when we came upon them, about an hour before sundown yesterday," Ensor looked to her. "The other, Alana?" he asked if the name he'd heard was right. He watched her nod. "She was still alive, but barely. There was nothing we could do for her. She spoke in fevered words about things I didn't understand."

"What things?" Kahlan asked. "What did she say?"

He shrugged. "Something about a person named Dean, I think. And another, Katherine maybe?"

"Dennee and Kahlan," she spoke her and her sister's name.

"Yes, that was it. She also said something about an island and getting to safety." Ensor shook his head. "That is all I remember. Who are these women?"

Kahlan stood up. "Confessors, like me," she faced Richard.

"What do think it means?" Richard asked his wife. "Why would the Tromani attack the other Confessors if it's Leigha that they want?"

She shrugged. "Maybe because they thought Alana and the others knew where Leigha was. Maybe because they think all Confessors are a threat, the way Rahl did. If the Tromani were hired by the D'Harans, which we think could be a possibility, maybe they want all of us dead," she shrugged.

"Who is Leigha?" Ensor looked to Richard for his answer.

"She's my daughter," the Seeker revealed.

"You should not say anything more," Cara stepped between Ensor and Richard. She looked the Seeker in the eye. "You do not know if these men can be trusted. You have already told them too much. We need to get to…" she paused, glancing at the two other men. "We need to be going," Cara corrected her words, being cautious not to reveal anything.

Ensor looked over Cara's shoulder. "Seeker," he began.

"Richard, call me Richard."

The Sergeant nodded. "Richard, I know that Lord Rahl is dead. The news did not reach us until just a few months ago, but I no longer serve the D'Haran army. I wear this uniform as a defense, but my loyalties lay with those who have been friends. I know that we did not part on the best of terms last we saw one another, but you saved my family. For that I owe you a dept of gratitude. I do not wish to be your enemy any longer."

Richard looked to Kahlan who did not seem to care one way or the other what the man had said. He turned to Cara and could see instantly the doubt on her face. But he made his own decision and stepped away from Cara. Richard extended his arm to the man who had taken him to meet his family once, the man whose son he had carved a special whistle for. "I don't wish to be your enemy either," he conveyed the same sentiment.

Ensor clasped Richard's arm just above the wrist. "Your daughter is in danger?" he asked, letting go.

"Yes," Richard eyed Kahlan again, knowing they could use all the help they could get. "Our daughter," he amended. "These Tromani are very real and have been sent to kill her because of a prophecy that claims she will one days use the power of Orden to destroy the three lands, whatever that means exactly." Richard was still uncertain that the words could be taken verbatim. He'd never seen or heard the exact prophecy about his destiny to kill Rahl but he had a feeling there was room for interpretation of such things. Moreover, he hoped there was.

"The power of Orden?" Ensor's eyes widened a little.

"Is that significant to you for some reason?" Cara questioned the man, remaining close to Richard.

Ensor nodded and then reached into the folds of his heavy cloak. He pulled a book clear of the fabric and held it between his right thumb and forefinger. "I was sent to find this copy of the book that Lord Rahl believed would help him command the power of Orden," he reluctantly let go of the item that had kept him from his family for such a long time.

Richard grasped the book and flipped open the front cover. He began to read the words. They were words he had read once before, upon first learning of his destiny to become the Seeker of Truth. "The truth of the words of the Book of Counted Shadows can only be insured by a Confessor."

"Where did you get that?" Kahlan asked.

"In an old library, very far to the south," Ensor revealed. "It has kept me from my family for a long time, but if it can help you then it's yours to take."

"Thank you," Richard smiled gratefully. He had no idea if the book could help them destroy the boxes or not, but it was worth looking in to.

Kahlan took Richard's hand and led him away from the others. "If someone wants the Book of Counted Shadows to control the magic of Orden then they'll need a Confessor. Maybe that's why the Tromani attacked Alana and the others, but they must have put up too much of a fight and were killed in the process."

"I think you're jumping to conclusions, Kahlan," Richard frowned at her theory. "Ensor said that Rahl sent him to get the book a long time ago, before he died."

"But someone is pulling the strings of these Tromani, and whoever that is might try to use the magic before Leigha can ever come to possess it, or before we can try to destroy it so she can never use it." It still unnerved her to think of her daughter doing such a thing, destroying lands. Surely she and Richard would never teach their daughter to desire such horrible things. None of it really made sense to her but she pressed onward. "Dennee and I, and our children, we are the only Confessors left now."

His face turned grim. "You want to warn your sister?" Richard easily guessed. "But I thought the island was protected."

"It always has been," she sighed and bit down gently on her bottom lip. "But I doubt that will stop these assassins from making an attempt. Alana was clearly trying to warn us of the threat, starting with Dennee." Kahlan looked Richard in the eye. "I left my sister for dead once. I vowed never to do such a thing again. We need to warn her of the potential danger."

Richard hated to see the new burden that had come to rest upon her shoulders. "It will take most of the rest of the day to get to the crossing point and hire a boat. We could set off for the island at first light. It will maybe take a day there and another back, three round-trip at most. Then another few days to the People's Palace. It could be at least two weeks before we get to Thandor."

She nodded, biting her lip harder. "I want so badly just to go to the palace now and get back to Leigha as quickly as possible."

"But your sister needs us too," he understood. "Then let's go to Valeria," Richard agreed, drawing her closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. Richard felt her whole body tense up. He pulled back. "What's wrong?" He had asked the question earlier but she'd denied anything was bothering her. Richard wouldn't let it go a second time.

"Nothing, just…" she pulled her lips into a tight smile to hide the pain his touch had caused against her blistered skin. For three nights in a row she had endured the contact of Cara's Agiel, all in the hope that it would get her closer to understanding the Con Dar. So far it had only succeeded in causing her pain and had lead to telling her husband lies. "I must have slept on a rock last night." Kahlan faced him, knowing the words were blatantly untrue.

He smiled brightly, hoping to ease her pain with a cheery disposition. "You should have told me, I would have handled the offender. No rock stands a chance against the Seeker," Richard joked, wishing to see her smile in return. It never came.

**xxx**

Ensor and Rafferty had ridden to the crossing point with them and stayed through the night. The next morning, as the sun rose in a pink and purple sky, Richard prepared the boat for travel. He gave it a once over, searching for any holes or weak points in the vessels structure. Feeling confident that the boat was completely sound, he tossed their gear inside and promptly rallied Cara and Kahlan.

"Raff and I will stand guard here while you're away," Ensor spoke as he helped Richard push the boat toward the ocean's edge.

"No," Richard shook his head. "You've helped us enough. Go and find your family," he insisted.

The man smiled. "I owe you more than an escort for saving my family. We will stay until you return. Anyone who tries to cross here will have to go through us," he vowed.

Richard nodded, not wishing to fight the man on the issue any further. "Thank you." He was appreciative of the gesture.

As the waves began to lap at his ankles, Richard helped Kahlan into the boat and instructed Cara to take the oars in the bow. He stood on the right side. Rafferty was to the left and Ensor at the stern. The three men pushed the craft further out into the current of cool water until it was fully afloat. Richard jumped inside and waved off the two men. He sat beside Kahlan as Cara took the first rowing shift.

Kahlan was silent as they crested larger waves further out. Richard's worry for her grew exponentially as she remained distant. He thought he'd gotten through to her, before they'd left Leigha, but something was clearly still bothering her. She'd always been his rock, the strongest woman he knew. It seemed it was his turn to be strong for her. He took her hand as his eyes followed the watery curvature of the horizon.

Richard pressed a kiss against her palm, and hoped that they were worrying needlessly about her sister.

* * *

**To be continued…**

Thank you all for reading, and extra thanks to those who have left comments on this story. I really do appreciate it. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

I'm really sorry this part took so long! Please enjoy!

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Part 5**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

Richard wasn't certain, but it seemed to be getting warmer as they navigated the blue-grey sea. Shortly after they'd set off from the crossing point, dark storm clouds had burst open above them. Rain had fallen steadily for the first half of their journey, but now he could feel sweat beading at the back of his neck. They were alternating rowing shifts every hour and currently Cara was at the oars, so he couldn't claim that the warm feeling was due to exertion. He stuck his nose back in the book to distract himself.

Kahlan appeared to be lost in thought as she sat beside him and stared off into the distance. Richard sighed as he aimlessly flipped through the book. He had tried repeatedly to strike up conversation with his wife, only to be given the cold shoulder. Richard had become engrossed in the book instead, scanning it to see if there was anything he could find that might help them learn more about the three boxes of Orden, maybe even how to destroy them if necessary.

He read one short sentence and tried to wrap his mind around what the words had revealed. "Kahlan, listen to this." Richard decided to forcefully break her from the silent prison she was caught in. "According to this passage, the power of Orden can only be tempered by the touch of a Confessor." He lowered the book to his lap. "Does that make any sense?"

"The magic of Orden is a powerfully evil force," Kahlan replied, recalling how it had so easily affected Richard. "A Confessor's touch uses love to subdue. What better force of good is there than love?" she shrugged. "Maybe that's why the Tromani are targeting Confessors."

"Maybe, except Rahl sent Ensor to find the book months ago, and we just intercepted it. Whoever is carrying on in Rahl's footsteps probably doesn't even know what's in the book." His mind raced forward to the part he didn't understand. "What doesn't make sense is the specific mention in the prophecy about Leigha using the magic of Orden. If what the book says is true, how could the power corrupt her?"

Kahlan thought it seemed unlikely until an idea formed in her head. "What if…" she stopped herself, afraid that she was letting her own fears cloud her judgment.

Richard rested a hand on her thigh. "What?" he gently prodded.

Kahlan swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched white caps slap against the side of the boat. "What if Leigha succumbed to the blood rage and was then exposed to the magic of Orden?" she finally posed the possibility. "What if the Con Dar is the catalyst that allows her to be corrupted by the power of Orden?"

"Could that happen?" Cara asked, having kept an ear on the conversation.

Kahlan looked to the Mord-Sith whom she'd cajoled into helping her learn more about how to control pain. "If she isn't taught how to control the blood rage by her mother, then I'd say it's a very real possibility."

Richard closed the book, realizing that he had just inadvertently strengthened Kahlan's fears. He tried to find words of comfort for her but became distracted as he spotted the first hazy signs of a landmass in the distance. Everything else seemed to fade from importance. Kahlan had told them that, due to the magic protecting the island, only she would be able to see it until they were actually standing on it. The fact that he could see it now sent alarms off in his head.

He shooed Cara away from the oars and rowed them toward shore the last little stretch. Richard pulled hard and used the current to help propel them onto the white sand beach. As they disembarked, Richard felt even warmer. He looked to Kahlan with questioning eyes. "Do I have a fever?"

"Valeria is tropical year round," she explained, reaching back behind her neck and pulling her hair away as sweat began to trickle downward.

Cara seemed undeterred by the warmer temperatures. Another thing she was probably trained to endure, Richard thought as she helped him drag the boat up toward the tree line. They positioned the vessel in a shady spot far from the water's edge and went about pulling their gear out. Each had just one small pack. Kahlan scooped up the doll in its sling and positioned it across her back, still keeping up the ruse out of habit.

Kahlan led the way. Though she'd never been there before, she'd studied the ancient islands' history enough to determine the most likely place for settlement. Even greater than that knowledge, her desire to find Dennee was the incentive that guided each step. Her wish to find Dennee was not simply due to a need to warn her about the things going on, but also because Kahlan desired the unconditional comfort only a sister could lend.

The hope of that reunion crumbled as they came across a scattering of bodies in a grassy clearing. It was becoming an all too familiar sight. Richard knelt down beside the only figure not dressed in black. He turned the body over and Finn's dead eyes stared up at them. Kahlan's stomach tightened as she stared at the dry blood on the left side of his shirt. Richard stood and scanned the area. Cara held up three fingers to indicate the number of dead Tromani in the field. They continued forward with caution.

Richard held his wife's hand as they approached the small cottage atop a low hill. Cara stayed close, scanning the area around them. Kahlan knew what they would find inside even before they stepped over the threshold. Her fears were only confirmed as the acrid stench of old blood assaulted her nostrils. Two bodies lay on the hardwood floor in front of them. Dennee's eyes were closed but her son's lifeless ones were not as he lay in his mother's protective embrace. Kahlan sank down beside the two of them.

She tried to remember how long it had been since they'd said their goodbyes. Close to two years. It was a much longer life than the boy would've had if Richard hadn't helped save him from being drowned. Still, it didn't seem like nearly enough time to experience the joys of life. As Kahlan regarded the boy's features, she noted his light hair and blue eyes, nothing like the dark hair and eyes of her daughter. But there were subtle reminders of Leigha on his face, the slope of his nose and shape of his eyes.

"I never even knew his name," Kahlan whispered through clenched teeth. She wanted to weep for them, or to yell and scream in frustrated rage. Instead, she was on her feet again and out the door in a matter of seconds.

"Kahlan!" Richard called to her. Even after everything they'd been through, he'd never seen her look quite so broken. Glancing out the open door, he watched as she fled with lightening speed out across the green field. He caught Cara's attention and nodded his head to indicate the bodies. "See if you can find something to dig a hole with. I want them to have a proper burial. And keep an eye out. The bodies are no more than a day gone. I fear the Tromani may still be close." With that said, he took off after Kahlan.

Richard held a hand to the hilt of his sword, keeping the scabbard from jostling as he tried to catch up to his wife. At the bottom of the hill, he lost sight of Kahlan as she disappeared into the thick tangle of vines and trees. Her sling lay discarded at his feet but Richard continued after her, leaving the fake child behind. Bright green leaves on the trees all around him dripped with condensation from the humid climate. Richard marveled at the unique landscape, even as he rushed through it. It was unlike the Hartland woods where he'd grown up.

He followed a barely negotiable path, which wound through the tropical forest in a snaking pattern. Richard could hear the soft trickle of water and occasionally caught a glimpse of the river below as he climbed higher. The river was clearer than any water he'd seen before on the mainland. As the trees thinned he could actually peer down into the depths of the river where he spotted small schools of orange fish darting back and forth.

The sound of a snapped branch pulled his eyes back to the trail and Richard caught another glimpse of Kahlan. The gentle murmur of the river grew louder until Richard was sure he was very near some sort of rapids. As he rounded a blind corner the sight that greeted him was breathtaking. Below him the clear water frothed and churned so violently that it looked pure white. When he tipped his head back to look upward, the same white rush of water towered over him. It cascaded down to form a grand waterfall.

"Kahlan!" Richard tried to get her attention as she climbed up the steep rocky terrain beside the waterfall. When she didn't stop, he found a good foothold and started after her. About five levels up, he watched as she disappeared behind the waterfall. Richard quickly reached the spot and found an entrance to a dark cavern. The wall of water on his right sprayed him with a fine mist as he moved further inside. Richard had to use the rock wall on the left to guide his step as there was very little light to see by.

Several feet in, his hand brushed against something solid but not hard like the rock. Richard ran his hand along the object and instantly knew it to be Kahlan's arm. Even in the barely lit space he knew the feel of her dress and the softness of her skin. He pulled her close and she relaxed into his embrace. "I don't know if I can do this any more, Richard," her voice was no more than a whisper against the backdrop of rushing water.

"Yes, you can," he insisted.

"I just want to hold her," Kahlan's words crackled with longing and despair.

He remained strong for her. "We will, soon."

"When, Richard?" She pulled away from him and leaned heavily against the rock wall. "After we've killed how many more men, and watched how many more of our friends and family die? After everything we have done for the Midlands, they send assassins to kill our daughter. She has barely lived a year and has done nothing at all to anyone. Every Confessor is dead now accept for Leigha and me." Kahlan gulped down a shallow breath. "For all we know, she might be dead too."

"No, Kahlan," Richard gripped her shoulders. "Leigha is safe, we have to believe that," he insisted. "I know nothing makes much sense right now, but you were the one who first told me how important my destiny was. You were willing to sacrifice your sister and even your own life for me, for the Seeker's cause. You had faith in me before I had faith in myself. We just need to have faith now that we'll be able to do the right thing for Leigha."

"But things were different then," Kahlan lowered her head. "Everything has changed."

Richard was somewhat puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't think I'd ever have this sort of life," she admitted. "I knew I'd probably have a child some day, but not a husband who would be able to love me the way you do. The two of us being together is the reason all of this is happening now. If Leigha had never been born then no one would be hunting her, or us. The other Confessors would still be alive; Dennee and her son would still be alive."

"Do you really believe that?" Richard asked, knowing that everything else the last few days had been leading to this final crisis of faith for her. "I don't," he let her know. "This is not your fault, Kahlan, and we are not being punished. Were we just supposed to give up our hopes, our dreams, and live only for duty? We'd be no better than the Mord-Sith, or these Tromani." He cupped her cheek and caressed it with his thumb. "When I was at the palace before, you came for me. You had faith that I was alive even when it seemed impossible."

She nodded weakly. "I know, but it wasn't easy."

Richard grinned. "My father always used to say that the only easy day is yesterday." Even in the dimness of the space, he was pleased to see the small smile that lit her face.

"How do you always know the right thing to say?"

He shrugged, growing serious again. "We can leave here and go to Thandor, get Leigha and take her away. We can try to hide her as Zedd hid me in Hartland all those years. We can survive, not knowing one day to the next what might happen. Or, we can go the palace as planned and get the third box of Orden. We can destroy them all and give our daughter the chance to live her life any way she sees fit. We can keep surviving, or we can live."

Kahlan finally felt her first tear fall. She knew that life was too precious to just hide away from it. Richard had helped her remember that. "I want to live," she gave him her answer, in a voice that was strong and assured again. Her hands reached out to him, drawing him near in the darkness of the waterfall cavern. "More than that, I want to feel alive, Richard." Kahlan whispered in his ear. Her resolve turned to desire in an instant. "Will you do that for me, here? Now?"

"Kahlan, we shouldn't…" his breath hitched as she kissed away the words that tried to escape. He feared that her frayed emotions were fueling her need. But every soft, tender kiss screamed even louder that she was right, about needing to feel alive. He wanted to feel it too, to understand what they were fighting for. Richard gave in to the desire and everything faded for a brief moment as their bodies remembered what it was like to be alive.

**xxx**

Zedd trailed behind Hammond as they walked through denser forest, having left their horses at the last township. Minding his granddaughter was Zedd's foremost task, leaving Hammond as their guide and Denna as their protector. So far, they had not been followed. Zedd wasn't sure if that was due to Richard and Kahlan's distraction, or if the Tromani were just really good at staying hidden and waiting for the right moment to strike. He hoped for the former, but feared the latter.

A sharp tug at his hair caused Zedd to look down at Leigha. She smiled at him with a wide grin; her two pristinely white teeth gleamed against the rays of autumn sunlight that streamed through the trees. Zedd found it extremely difficult to be upset with her as she looked so innocent. He'd often had the same difficulty with her parents. Zedd carefully pried his darkened hair free and shifted the child so that she would not be within reach of the tempting plaything.

They had been traveling for several hours since setting off at first light, and Zedd's arms were not nearly as young or strong as they had once been. He turned to Denna. "Would you mind carrying Leigha for a spell? I could use a rest."

Denna frowned. Richard had insisted she hold the child a few times in the past, even though she was fairly certain he knew she didn't like to. But she'd agreed to the journey and all it might entail. Keeping the child safe, even if it meant taking a short turn carrying her, was of the utmost importance. Duty was one thing she understood. Denna made sure to tuck the Agiel safely behind her blue cloak before she took the child from Zedd.

Leigha instantly reached for Denna's braided hair. She'd mostly been wearing it down as part of her disguise, but still often reverted to the ubiquitous braid which she was accustomed to. It swung just above her shoulders since being cut. "Do not yank on that," Denna grumbled as she pried Leigha's hand away. The braid seemed to mesmerize the child and she soon grabbed a hold of it again. "This is Denna's hair. Denna," the Mord-Sith pointed to her braid as she freed her hair a second time.

Zedd chuckled, but sobered quickly when Denna shot him a withering look. He made a show of stretching his arms and rolling his neck, so that she would not be tempted to toss the girl back in his arms right away. "I don't think she understands," he couldn't help pointing out that Leigha was just about to try her luck a third time.

Denna grabbed Leigha's wrist to stop her. A second later she realized that her grip on the child was much too tight. Leigha looked at her with slightly fearful, yet obstinate eyes. The shock of how much she resembled Richard caused a brief memory to surface. Denna saw his face again; the pain and stubbornness in his eyes as she'd tortured him. "Please, do not yank on this. It belongs to Denna," she tried again in a softer tone, waving the end of her braid for the girl to see.

"Dee!" Leigha grinned as she reached for the braid again but did not grab it. She touched it gently with one small hand.

Zedd held a hand up to cover the smile on his face. "I do believe you have just taught her a first word. Of course, I think she believes that your name means hair, or possibly braid." He dropped his hand and laughed freely for a moment, until Leigha laid her head on Denna's shoulder. Zedd suddenly had the distinct feeling that his granddaughter was trying to teach the Mord-Sith a lesson, rather than the other way around. Forgiveness was one of the most rare and precious of all gifts.

"Where did he go?" Denna asked, glancing around the woods as she tried to ignore the soft, humbling warmth of the child in her arms.

Zedd realized that Hammond had slipped from their sight. "Surely he can not have gone far."

"Dear spirits!"

They rushed to where Hammond's voice had come from. Zedd's mouth hung open, unable to form words for what he was seeing, except to echo the previous sentiment. "Dear spirits," his expression was more a lament than surprise. The monolithic rock walls that Zedd remembered from his first visit, the ones that had slid open upon Kahlan's command, were nothing more than a pile of pebbles at their feet. And the gorgeous valley of green land beyond was scorched as far as the eye could see.

"Hammond?" A feminine voice called out from behind.

The three of them turned around and Zedd recognized the woman from his previous visit. "Sister Nancy," Hammond greeted her by name.

She moved closer and pressed one hand to his cheek. "Hammond, thank the spirits you are alright. I feared we might never see you again, especially after what happened here."

"What did happen?" Zedd questioned.

"An army of men came, more brutal than D'Haran soldiers." The answer derived from another source.

Zedd grinned, pleased to see the red-headed boy again as he stepped out from behind a large fir tree. "Renn, it's so good to know that you are well." He embraced the child and looked to the woman again. "Are there others who survived the attack?"

Sister Nancy nodded. "A few of the sisters put up a fight and were killed, but most managed to escape," she revealed. "The others set off to look for a safe place to house the children. I wanted to stay in case Hammond returned. Renn insisted on staying with me because Henry told us that you would be coming," she faced Zedd. "He warned us of the attack too, but we honestly didn't think they would be able to break through our magical barrier. They were searching for something, a child, a girl."

"Leigha," Renn spoke as he walked toward the baby in Denna's arms. The Mord-Sith tightened her hold on the child. "They were looking for her."

"I don't know what you mean, this child is a boy," Denna remained in a defensive stance as she faced the young man.

Renn shook his head. "No, she's not," he faced Zedd. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hear it but you were thinking it so loudly when you first approached and saw that Thandor had been attacked. You're worried about her safety if she can't be hidden here." He looked to the baby again. "She's Richard and Kahlan's daughter. She's the one those men wanted so badly." The words were not a question, but a statement of fact. Renn often knew more facts than he cared to.

"Sister, what of the library?" Hammond interrupted.

She shook her head. "It was lost as well, burned to the ground." Sister Nancy watched as Hammond set off toward the building he had protected for most of his life. "I'm afraid he will find nothing left there."

"Who did this?" Denna wanted answers. She looked to the woman first and the boy second, though he made her nervous like no one ever had before.

"Tromani," Renn answered. "They never spoke it but that's what I heard in their heads. Mostly they thought about service and death. It was horrible to hear how devoted they were to killing and dying." The boy tried to block out the painful memories of what he'd heard in their heads. "There were some others with them, women in red leather. Some of their thoughts were just as bad." As soon as he spoke the words, he caught wind of a thought beside him. Renn looked up at the woman holding the baby. "You're one of them!" he gasped.

"Mord-Sith?" Zedd placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "There were Mord-Sith here?" Renn nodded, still looking fearfully up at Denna. "She is a friend," Zedd let the child know. "She is Richard and Kahlan's friend." He knew the term was not exactly correct, but he tried to believe it the best he could to ease Renn's discomfort.

"It's all gone," Hammond stumbled back wearily, rejoining the small group. "There is nothing left."

"What of the boxes?" Zedd asked.

Hammond shook his head. "They are gone as well."

"Burned?" Denna questioned.

"I doubt very much that they were destroyed in the fire," Zedd answered, reasoning that the magic of Orden would be resistant to such simple destructive means. "Those who did this must have known that the boxes were here and they took them." He looked to his granddaughter who had fallen asleep in Denna's arms. "Thank the spirits that Leigha was not here to be taken as well."

**xxx**

Richard held Kahlan's hand as they emerged from the cavern to find the sun setting behind them. It was still very warm out even as the sunlight dwindled. Being on the island, it was very easy to get caught up in the surroundings and forget what they had discovered earlier. But, as they took leave of their brief retreat, everything flooded in on him again. Richard guessed the same could be said for Kahlan as she had grown rather quiet again in the last few minutes.

"Please don't feel guilty about what we just did," he urged, squeezing her hand.

She looked to him with a small smile. "I don't," Kahlan shook her head. "You said yourself that our hopes and dreams should not be forsaken," she shrugged weakly, looking toward the direction of her sister's cottage. "But reality always comes back to haunt us," she concluded.

It was refreshing to Richard, seeing her confidence return, at least somewhat. He knew that there were still so many things unanswered and the loss of her sister, Finn and the boy to be dealt with. But they had a renewed purpose, which he hoped would propel them forward. "We should head back. Cara has probably searched half the island by now, looking for us," his voice faded when he noticed the left side of her white dress hanging slightly off the shoulder.

Kahlan followed his eyes and reached for the ties at the front of her dress. "It was dark in there," she was grateful of the fact, remembering the thing she'd been hiding from him.

He reached up and stopped her. The light in the cavern had been so dim that they'd both relied more on touch than sight as they'd made love. Richard pushed the fabric further down her shoulder. "Kahlan," he gasped at the sight of her pale skin, which was marred by a rash of disk shaped wounds. "When did… how did you get these marks?" Even before the question was fully out of his mouth, he recognized the familiar shape of the abrasions. He stepped away, realization and furry clouding his eyes.

"Richard," Kahlan instantly noticed the dark place that his mind had gone. She was unable to stop him before he leapt off the rocky ledge to land on the trail below. Kahlan jumped down each level individually, leaving him ample time to get ahead of her. She did her best to keep up, catching the odd glimpse of him through the trees.

He was still several feet ahead of her when they reached the cottage. Cara was standing on the west side of the small house with her back turned toward them. Kahlan watched as the Mord-Sith anticipated Richard's surprise attack. Her Agiel was in hand, but she did her best not to touch him with it even as he so clearly wanted to cause her harm. He gripped both her wrists with iron clad strength. Cara fought back, kicking at him as she tried to break free of his hold.

"Why would you hurt her?" Richard asked. "I thought you wanted to help us!" he growled as he managed to sweep Cara's feet out from beneath her.

Kahlan caught her breath as she watched Richard pin the woman to the ground. Cara was still fighting him with everything she had, legs thrashing. "Richard, please let her go," Kahlan pushed herself between the two of them, seeing the frightening results of her deception first hand. "She only did what I asked of her," Kahlan finally revealed.

The fight in him gave out as he turned to stare at his wife. "What are you talking about?" he asked. Cara took advantage of the distraction and connected her fist with his face. She scrambled away and stood as Richard tried to stop the flow of blood pouring from his nose.

"I asked her to teach me how to block pain, how to use it," Kahlan answered. "I thought it might help me learn to control the Con Dar," she concluded.

Richard felt sick to his stomach, and it wasn't due to the pain from his injured nose. He could not believe that his wife had kept something like that from him. Nearly worse than that, he hated that he would now forever have to look at Cara the same way he looked at Denna, seeing her as one who had caused them pain. He stared at the Mord-Sith and shook his head in disappointment. "Why did you agree to do that?"

"She asked me," Cara replied simply.

He clenched his teeth, anger still boiling. "Well, you should have said no!"

Cara regarded him for a moment. "You ask me to do things all the time, am I just to say no to you?"

"If you want to say no, then yes," he nodded, realizing that the woman still didn't seem to understand the concept of free will. "It's your choice."

"This was my choice too. I did not wish to hurt her, only to help," Cara concluded.

Richard's chest heaved as he looked to Kahlan for a moment and then to Cara again. With a final sigh of frustration, he got to his feet and walked toward the cottage. Kahlan stood and noticed the freshly turned mound of dirt a few feet in front of her. Cara bent down and retrieved the sash of fabric with the phony baby in it, which she'd found in the field. She handed it to Kahlan and silently insisted that the woman take it. Kahlan pulled the sling over her head, not sure why it seemed so important to Cara.

"I put the three of them together," Cara waved a hand over the large grave, grateful to move on from what had just happened, even if it was only to deal with death. She understood death. Death was easy. It was life that remained a mystery to her. "I had a sister."

Kahlan wasn't sure what to make of the last statement. "You mean the other Mord-Sith?"

"No, a blood sister," Cara revealed. "I was seven when the D'Haran soldiers came for me. My sister was only four. They slit her throat. I don't remember a lot about before I was Mord-Sith, but I remember that. I will never forget it." The blonde haired woman looked Kahlan in the eye. "I want you to know, despite what just happened, I would die before I let any harm come to your daughter." She walked away, clearly not wishing to discus the matter any further.

Kahlan adjusted the sling and felt something hard tucked inside the fabric beside the doll. She fished out the object and realized it was a journal. Her sister's handwriting stared back at her as she read aloud. "The garden that Finn and I planted is overgrown with an abundance of fruit and vegetables. Rian loves to run through the stalks of corn, which are taller than he is. Watching him grow up here so happy and thriving, I can't imagine ever denying him this life." Kahlan smiled, finally knowing her nephew's name.

Richard came to stand beside her, his face cleaned. He placed an arm across Kahlan's shoulders in a comforting manner and softly kissed her temple, trying to let go of his anger. Looking down at the mound of dirt, he couldn't think of anything to say other than a few words, ones he remembered Zedd and Kahlan had spoken in Kieran's tomb. "When the road you walk is dark, may you always see the light ahead, may you always remember that you do not walk alone." He had a feeling his wife needed the reminder.

She turned to him, eyes welling with tears. "I'm sorry."

He pushed a lock of hair behind her left ear. "Keep to the path ahead, not the road behind," Richard spoke his forgiveness. "Lesson seventeen, I think. Zedd told me that one just before I was taken by Denna." He saw the guilt flare in her eyes and quickly got to the point he was trying to make. "Our love for each other saved us then and it has several times since. It will see us through this too. At least, I hope it will."

"I hope so too." Kahlan agreed.

"If we're going to get through this then there can be no more secrets, Kahlan. I want you to tell me everything, no matter how angry you think I'll get," he insisted. "Promise me that."

She nodded. "I promise."

He knew they would need to discuss everything at greater length, but at the moment Richard had only one goal in mind. "We need to get going," he turned toward the path ahead, as his grandfather had taught him. "I don't want to wait until morning to head out. There's a full moon tonight," he gestured toward the darkening sky. "It will be enough light to guide us. I don't like the idea of spending the night here if the Tromani are still lurking about. I want to put this place behind us."

**xxx**

The mainland shore came into view as sunrise cast the morning sky in shades of pink. All three of them had been awake through the night and were weary from the long journey to and from the island. But they quickly became alert, catching sight of Ensor and Rafferty who were caught up in a heated battle further inland. Richard beached the boat and leapt from the craft with his sword drawn. Cara and Kahlan were right beside him as they charged forward.

Richard surveyed the enemy, counting seven. He hoped that meant the three on the island had been part of their group, but he wondered why they were all present; leaving no true assassin waiting in the wings. The Tromani fought with the same ruthless nature as he had experienced before. Ensor and Rafferty each fought against one man as Richard battled two at once. Cara cut a single soldier down in short order and went after another, leaving Kahlan just one to deal with.

Kahlan decided to get some answers and went for the man's throat with her hand rather than her knife. His green eyes widened as she felt him submit to her power, but he went limp before the full effect of her magic could be released. It was all over in less than a second and he slumped to her feet, dead. Having neutralized the others, Richard squatted beside the man and pried open his mouth. He found the poisoned capsule that he'd suspected. "They'd rather die than become prisoners. We won't get any answers from them," he declared.

Ensor offered Richard a hand up. "Raff and I have been discussing it since you left, and we'd like to continue on with you," he offered.

"If you're sure?" Richard questioned. Ensor nodded. "Then I welcome the help."

Kahlan heard the faintest sound coming from one of the fallen men and went to investigate. He was dead, but what she found inside the man's cloak surprised her. "I think I might know how they've been tracking us." She looked to Richard, holding a silver chain in her left hand. The soft blue glow of light in the bottle at the end of the chain spoke in a language Richard did not understand. Kahlan interpreted. "Isa says that she had no choice, they threatened to destroy the entire night wisp forest if she didn't help them. She is very sorry."

"Is that how they detected the island?" Richard questioned.

She shrugged. "Possibly," The realization sent a jolt of renewed fear down Kahlan's spin. She stood and faced Richard. "What if the Tromani have other night wisps with them? What if they're using one to help them track Leigha?" She sighed, thinking back to his certainty that a baby could not be tracked aside from following its parents.

Richard feared she was right. "Do we go to Thandor, or continue on? It's still your choice," he let her decide.

"Getting the third box is our best chance at living, right?" she reminded him.

"Right," he squeezed her shoulder.

Kahlan placed the night wisp around her neck and prayed to the good spirits that her daughter would remain safe for just a little while longer.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Part 6**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

They'd reached the edge of the Cardith valley when Ensor suggested that they take the Eagle-claw canyon passage, rather than the lower river path. He'd said it would add half a day to their travel, but he felt it would deter anyone from following them. Richard had agreed. The passage was narrow and tricky to negotiate, if you didn't know the way. At the moment, wet snowfall was making the trail rather slippery.

Ensor was on point as they crested the passage. The climb up had taken most of the morning and they hoped the hike down would go quicker. Cara walked behind Ensor with Rafferty to her left. She was doing her best to stay quiet even as the man kept looking her way every few minutes. His blond hair was messy and only made worse due to the wind gusting through the canyon. His piercing gaze finally caused her tongue to loosen.

"Stop staring at me," Cara spoke in a warning tone.

His turquoise eyes were intrigued by the challenge. "I'm sorry, it's just that you look… pretty," Raff replied.

Cara balled her hands into fists but did not halt her step. "Do you know what I am?"

"A woman?" his grin grew bolder.

She kept her eyes ahead, looking to the trail as she spoke with unrestrained discomfort. "No, I am Mord-Sith."

He shrugged, his smile faltering just a little as he kept pace with her. "And I am a D'Haran soldier, but underneath that I am still a man. Underneath your…" Raff waved a hand over the length of her body but decided not to state anything specific about her form. "Well… you are still a woman," he concluded in a softer voice.

Kahlan smiled as she overheard the conversation taking place in front of her. She didn't know if Raff was very stupid or very brave. Glancing over at Richard caused a frown to mar her momentary amusement. He was clearly lost in thought as he stared intently at the back of Cara's head. Kahlan shivered, pulling her heavy cloak tighter as the wind picked up. She still felt horrible for her part in the way Richard now felt about Cara. "Please don't be angry at her, she only did as I asked. Be angry with me."

"Oh, I am," Richard replied, looking to his wife for a moment. He turned back to the trail, taking each step carefully. The rock face to their left was a shear climb. Below, it was pocked with evergreen trees and random rock outcroppings, but it still dropped several hundred feet. "You had help, though, or did the idea to be trained by an Agiel come to all on your own?" He was doubtful of the fact. He'd forgiven her but he was far from happy about what had happened. "Why didn't you talk to me about it before doing it?"

She took a deep breath and stood her ground. "Because you would have dismissed the idea without even thinking it through," Kahlan replied. "Sometimes you feel things more than you reason them out, because your heart is bigger than your head. Most of the time I love that about you, but you read the book, if Leigha doesn't learn to control the Con Dar she will end up destroying everything we've fought so hard to maintain here."

"But you don't even know if that's how it will all happen," there was more than a little frustration in his tone. "If we destroy the boxes…"

"Richard," she stopped him before he could finish. "You, of all people, should know that you can't run away from destiny."

He was momentarily startled by her comment, but they kept up with the others. "You said you wanted to try this with me, to get the boxes and give Leigha a chance to escape this prophecy. I thought we agreed." Richard kicked a small rock off the path and listened as it fell over the cliff edge, echoing down the side of the canyon.

Kahlan bit down gently on her bottom lip. "I want to believe we can, Richard, I really do, but…" she shook her head. "You told me you wanted me to tell you the truth, well this is the way I see it. I think we need to consider that we might not be able to destroy the boxes. Helping Leigha understand the Con Dar may be our best chance to help her." She paused a moment and then changed tactics. "Leigha aside, what about me? Shouldn't I be able to learn to control the blood rage?"

Richard felt his heart tighten. "I've been able to help you out of it," he reminded her.

"I know," Kahlan acknowledged. She was grateful of the fact. "But what if you're not always there to help me?" she pushed back. "What if Cara had been alone that night when she found me in the Con Dar? I would have killed her; there is not doubt in my mind about that."

He threw up his hands and sighed. "I don't know what to do, Kahlan. What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to allow Cara to continue helping me," she wasted no time trying to soften the blow.

"No," his answer was instantaneous.

Kahlan bit her lip again, trying to suppress her emotions. "You've just proven my point, you won't even consider it."

"I listened to you and I don't agree," Richard spoke louder than he'd wanted to. He calmed after a few seconds. "All we've managed to do here is talk in circles. I'm going to scout ahead for a while," he quickened his step and managed to squeeze past Raff and Cara. Richard paused and turned to face the Mord-Sith for a moment. "I want you to fall back, make sure that no one is following us." With that said he passed Ensor and headed out in front.

Cara was eager to do as instructed, pleased to get away from Raff for a while. She passed Kahlan on her way. "He's upset," the Mord-Sith noted.

"Very much," Kahlan nodded.

The two of them stopped to speak. "My answer this time is no," Cara made a preemptive strike.

Kahlan's brow furrowed. "Answer to what?"

"You and the Seeker were not exactly quiet. I overheard that you wish to continue what we started, but I will not help you any longer," Cara explained.

"Cara, you have to," Kahlan caught the woman by her arm before she could move behind her. She noticed the dangerous look in Cara's eyes and let her arm drop. "Please, Leigha's life and the lives of everyone in Westland, the Midlands and D'Hara may depend on knowing how to defeat the blood rage."

The Mord-Sith shook her head, clearly not ready to budge on her position. "I told you before this all started that I did not wish to hurt you. All I've known my whole life is pain. It's all I wanted to know for a very long time, to please Lord Rahl. But you have given me something more, and when the Seeker looked at me the other day he seemed, disappointed. I do not know why that bothered me, but it did."

Kahlan couldn't help feeling sympathetic. She knew what it was like to be at the receiving end of Richard's disappointed look. But she could not give up so easily. Kahlan did not know what Cara was to them, not really a friend but clearly not their enemy. It was difficult to know how to proceed, but she decided to use Cara's words against her. "If you don't help me, Leigha may know pain for the rest of _her_ life. You told me that you would die to protect her, but you don't have to. You just have to help me."

Cara remained firm. "I…"

A soft, yet frantic, sound filled the air around them and interrupting their conversation. Kahlan pushed aside her cloak to find that the night wisp, Isa, was speaking to them in a warning tone. "She says there is someone behind us," Kahlan looked to Cara and then past her, over her shoulder. The Mord-Sith spun around, Agiel in hand as she too scanned the trail in the direction they had just come from.

Before either of them could think to alert the others, three arrows came whizzing toward them. Cara managed to dodge one. Kahlan side-stepped another but the third came straight at her. A flash of light engulfed the arrow and Kahlan knew instantly that Isa had saved her, much the same as Shar had once done for Richard. The black-cloaked men were upon them in a second after that. One man slipped past Cara and dove toward Kahlan. A second met with the tip of her Agiel and crumbled in agony. Cara kicked him off the cliff.

Kahlan heard the muffled cries of the man as he went over the edge. She turned her full focus on the battle with her attacker, managing to free the man of his sword and bow. His fists came at her instead, landing successfully against her abdomen. Kahlan was dimly aware of the second man that Cara sent over the cliff. His screams mingled with those of Richard's panicked shouts behind her. The man she fought came at her again but Kahlan ducked the punch. On her way up, she used her momentum to kick him in the jaw.

The man went down and lost his footing, slipping over the canyon's snow covered edge. He did not go down as easily as the other two, though. Extending his right arm at the last minute, he managed to grab the hem of Kahlan's white dress and yanked with all his might. The downward force of his fall, and the strength with which he held her, propelled Kahlan toward the edge along with him. She clawed at the slick ground as she heard Richard's voice growing closer, but everything happened much too fast.

Cara went to her knees, trying to brace herself against anything she could as she grabbed Kahlan's left arm. The man's bulky body was completely over the edge and all Cara could see of Kahlan was the arm she had hold of. Cara slid on her butt across the narrow path, still trying to dig her feet into something that would brace her. She felt the strain of her muscles give out and ended up on her face, still sliding, but she didn't let go of Kahlan.

Richard watched the scene, not truly comprehending what was going on. He couldn't believe that he'd allowed so much distance to come between him and Kahlan in such a short time, both literally and figuratively. He bit back the regrets swimming in his head and sprinted toward their position. When he was finally within range, Richard leapt the last expanse and dove for Cara. He caught her right boot but couldn't brace himself in time to stop their fall. Richard very nearly followed them all over when he felt a strong hand grasp his shoulder.

"Kahlan!" He dropped to his belly as he shouted her name. Richard peered over the cliff and got his first real look at the massive canyon. He recalled Ensor telling him the old fable of the ancient eagle that had supposedly carved out the canyon with his giant talon. He didn't give the story too much credence but it kept his mind occupied from other dismal thoughts as he searched the gulch's vast depth for any sign of his wife.

His heart caught in his throat as he spotted her sprawled on an extremely small rock ledge nearly fifty to sixty feet down. It was easy to see that she was not moving. Richard was only dimly aware of someone beside him and reasoned that it was Rafferty when he spotted a glimpse of light hair in his peripheral vision. "Do you see Cara?" he hesitantly asked.

There was no reply for several seconds until an arm shot out and the other man pointed. "There."

Richard could only hear the thump of his heart as he spotted the very top of the Mord-Sith's head and her arms clutching to a rock that looked about the size of a pebble from his vantage point. The rest of her was dangling somewhere beyond that, most likely hovering over nothing but the canyon's tree covered abyss. "I need some…"

"Rope," Ensor provided the word and the item before Richard could finish the sentence.

"I can climb down," Rafferty offered as he got to his feet.

The Seeker shook his head as he stood. "I'm lighter, I'll need both of you here to help pull us up." Richard left no room for argument as he quickly removed his scabbard and sword. He fashioned a harness out of the rope that fit around each leg and his waist. Ensor secured a length of rope around his waist and Raff did the same. The bearded man stood behind Raff with his back to the rock face. Raff slowly uncoiled the rope and lowered Richard over the edge.

It seemed like an eternity to get to Kahlan, but when he reached the ledge Richard instantly put two fingers against the side of her neck. He sighed with relief as he felt her heartbeat there, slow but steady. He noticed the man trapped beneath her, who had clearly broken her fall. The straw baby in the sling had probably helped cushion her as well. But there was a nasty cut on the left side of her head, which worried him. His mind shifted to Cara, though, who was still quite a ways below him.

Richard carefully swung himself to the left where he knew Cara to be. He finally caught another glimpse of her, amazed that she was still holding on. As he'd guessed, there was nothing below her but air. Richard felt the rope tighten around his waist, squeezing his belly in an uncomfortable way. He also realized he had stopped moving downward. When he looked up he could barely make out the wild hand gestures that Raff was flashing him, but he eventually got the idea. There was no more rope.

"Cara?" he called to the woman. "Can you hear me?"

"Of course I can hear you, Seeker, you're shouting," she replied.

He nearly laughed in relief to hear her annoyed voice. "Can you move at all?" Richard asked as he tried to stretch his feet toward her.

"Most likely I will be moving down, very shortly," she called back.

Richard swore under his breath as he used the cliff face to turn himself upside down. He tried to reach toward her with his hands but still came up short by a very small margin. He had a thought jump into his head that both buoyed and numbed him. There didn't seem to be any other solution and he couldn't waste time going back up and trying to get something he could reach her with. "Cara, do you still have your Agiel?"

"Why?"

He groaned. "Because it might be just long enough to make up the difference that is separating us."

"No," her response was immediate.

"No?" Richard questioned.

"Is the Mother Confessor safe?" she asked in return.

"Yes, she is unconscious but I can reach her. I'll get her up after I've gotten you. She is fine where she is at the moment."

"Go tend to her. I am prepared to die. You must save her."

"I fully intend to do that as soon as I get you up, now grab your Agiel and let's stop wasting time!" he shouted.

"I will not cause you any more harm. You have asked something of me and my answer this time is no," Cara replied.

Richard sighed in frustration and considered doing exactly as she asked, but he knew he couldn't. "Cara, this is not the time to stand up to me," he growled down at her. "Now grab the Agiel!" he made it clear that he would not be taking no for an answer. Richard watched as one of her hands let go of the rock. The other clearly struggled to hold on. For a moment he feared she was going to let herself fall. Then he saw the red leather tip of her weapon as she thrust it upward.

He took a deep breath and then, without another thought, he grabbed a hold of her Agiel. The pain was instantaneous but he clenched his teeth against the fire that burned along the palm of his hand and pulled her up. Within a few seconds, he had his hands grasped firmly around her wrists. He tried not to gape at her as he noticed the severely torn fabric of her clothes. Her tunic hung open, split along the left side, and her leather pants were nearly a rag from the rocky fall.

Richard managed to right himself and Cara. He motioned for Raff to start reeling them in. It took a long time and Cara's silence was nearly deafening. As soon as Raff hefted her up over the cliff's edge, Richard ordered him to let go of the rope again. He made his way back down to Kahlan, hearing the groan of the stressed rope all the way. It had gotten rather frayed with Cara's added weight and he feared getting Kahlan up would only add to the rope's strain. He just hoped they had enough time.

Kahlan's body lay limp in his arms as he again motioned for Raff to start bringing them up. He tried to keep his worries at bay even as he noticed the cut on her head was still bleeding a lot. "You are starting to be more trouble to look after than our daughter," he whispered and kissed her forehead just before they reached the top. Raff took Kahlan from him with Cara's help. Richard had both hands on the cliff ledge when he heard the rope snap and felt his weight shift downward.

Ensor was there in a flash and latched on to his forearms while Richard swung his legs up over the ledge. He lay on the path for a moment, grateful that they had all made it.

**xxx**

Zedd paced and glanced down at those seated around the fire pit where they'd stopped to camp for the night. The sun was still a few hours from setting, but it was cold enough out to warrant a fire. After two days spent traveling away from the ruins of Thandor, they were finally discussing their next move. Considering that the magically protected land was no longer a viable option for keeping Leigha safe, they needed another plan.

"I guess we know now that the Tromani and Mord-Sith are working together, but for who?" Zedd mused aloud. "The D'Harans most likely, but how do you suppose they broke through Thandor's magical defenses?" In two days time, he still hadn't been able to figure out that mystery. "They should not even have know it was there."

Silence greeted him for a moment until Denna spoke up. "I might know," she said, looking to see that Leigha was still asleep on the blanket beside her. Her gaze went to Zedd and settled there as she continued. "Mord-Sith are trained to turn magic against the person using it against them."

"Yes, and how does that factor in?" Zedd pushed her.

Denna sighed. "Some of us learned to use that gift in other ways, to turn magic that is not specifically targeted toward us."

"You can do that?" Zedd watched as she nodded. Now that he thought about it with a clear head, it actually made a lot of sense. He thought back to when Denna had broken through Giller's magical block on the doorway when the wizard had captured Kahlan. She had also tried to turn the magic of his Rada'Han in the palace dungeon. "How many know this trick, aside from you?" he asked.

"Only the ones I trained without Lord Rahl's knowledge," she revealed. "Cara, Jelka, and a few others. But, they may have found a way to teach each other. Mord-Sith can be very adaptable when they put their minds to something, especially if there is a group of them working together."

He wanted to smile at the way she used the term _they_ in regard to Mord-Sith, not seeming to include herself in that group. "That is a piece of information we could have used before now," Zedd gave her a reproachful look but it faded quickly. He knew better than most that it was hard to think of every little thing all at once. Zedd couldn't fault her for something he'd done on numerous occasions. "When did the Tromani leave Thandor?" he moved on to more productive conversation.

"About nine days ago," Sister Nancy replied.

Zedd pondered the time frame for a moment. "It will take them at least two weeks to travel back to the palace, maybe a week and a half if they ride hard, which I'm guessing they will now that they have the boxes in hand. Still, Richard and Kahlan should already be there. We don't really have anything to worry about other than staying hidden for a while."

"When has anything ever gone so easily for you, wizard?" Denna scoffed. She looked to Leigha again for a moment. "The Tromani were not just at Thandor for those boxes, they came for the girl and have doubtfully given up on finding her," she reminded him. "And Richard doesn't know they have the other boxes, what if he and the Mother Confessor leave the palace with just the one box as they were planning?"

The old wizard frowned, realizing that she did have a point, more than one in fact. "Then I will head to the palace and warn them, if need be," he decided. "I can gather a small force along the way. There are many from the resistance still loyal to Richard and Kahlan. They will be more than willing to help."

"I should be the one to go," Denna stood up to face him. "I can move faster and you need to look after Leigha."

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, I do not believe that the resistance will trust you the way they know and trust me. As indestructible as you like to think you are, you will need more than yourself to rescue Richard and Kahlan, if such a thing is necessary. You can look after Leigha," Zedd concluded.

"I am not a babysitter," she eyed him with unrestrained contempt.

He waved one hand in her direction, dismissing the comment. "Nonsense, Leigha likes you and you've watched me care for her all this time. You were even able to calm her when I could not. I want you to continue traveling west, find Chase and Jennsen in Hartland and wait for us there. They'll have men enough to protect the child," he reasoned.

"Wizard," Denna huffed, trying to find some way out of his plan. "I don't know the way to Hartland. I've never even been this far into the Midlands."

"I know the way there," Renn spoke up. "When I was with Richard before, he thought about Hartland a lot and I remember the route he planned to take back there some day. I could find it for you," the boy seemed eager to show his usefulness, even though he'd been wary of the woman at first.

"Great," Denna sighed with exasperation. She was even less thrilled by the prospect of having to look after two children.

Zedd nodded his approval of the plan. "Yes, I think you should all go," he insisted, looking to Hammond and Sister Nancy with beseeching eyes. "Your further assistance in this matter would be a great help to us all," he let them know.

Hammond was still rather distraught over the loss of his library, not saying much. But Sister Nancy seemed eager to offer help. "Of course, wizard Zorander. Kahlan is family."

Denna watched Zedd as he grabbed a few things, food and a bed role. She could see that he planned to leave right away since things had been decided. Guiding him to a spot a short distance from the rest of the group, Denna made her worries know to him. "This is not wise, wizard. I do not like the idea of us being separated."

He grinned playfully. "Yes, I know, I will miss you too."

The woman rolled her eyes at him. "I mean it. If I do not see you all again in one month, I will be coming after you," she vowed.

"I'll count on it," his smile was more sincere than before. Zedd placed a hand on her shoulder, unsure how else to convey his sentiments toward the woman. Somehow he'd come to think of the woman who had killed his daughter, nearly like a daughter herself. It was slightly unsettling, and yet pleasing at the same time. He dropped his hand. "I do not suppose I need to reiterate what Kahlan said before."

She shook her head. "I promise you that no harm shall come to Leigha as long as there is breath in my lungs," Denna swore.

Nothing more was said and she watched him head off.

**xxx**

Richard rubbed his tired eyes with one hand as he sat beside Kahlan and ran a damp cloth over the wound at her left temple. He remembered watching Kahlan use a damp cloth to help sooth Leigha when her tooth had been coming in. An irrepressible longing tugged at his heart as he tried to recall just how many days it had been since they'd last seen their daughter. More time that he would never be able to get back.

A rustling sound brought him to his feet. Ensor and Rafferty were off scouting the area ahead. Richard knew they would try to be back by sunset, which was nearly upon them, but he was wary of any noise. He put a hand to his sword and walked toward the pine tree to his left. "Cara?" he called out, seeing the distinct swing of her long blond braid against the dark green needles of the tree. Cara didn't say a word as she emerged from behind the branches and stood before him. She didn't have a stitch of clothing on. "What are you doing?"

"I have come to offer myself to you," she replied.

His eyes widened as he was sure to look only upon her face. Cara appeared to be completely serious, giving him no indication that she was playing a joke on him. Richard didn't even know if Mord-Sith knew how to joke. "What?" he asked again, wondering for a moment if a lack of sleep was causing him to see and hear things. He closed his eyes for a second and reopened them. She was still standing there, naked.

Cara remained straight faced. "You do not find me attractive?"

"Uh," Richard had a bad feeling there was no good way to answer that question. "Cara, you do know that my wife is laying ten feet away from us, unconscious."

She shrugged. "You saved my life; this is the only way I know how to repay you. It is what Lord Rahl always demanded of us."

Richard felt the sudden need to hit something as his hand fell away from the sword. "I am not Darken Rahl," he pressed the words through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry if I offend you by saying this, but I do not wish to have sex with you, Cara. I don't love you."

"I do not require love in order to have sex," Cara replied.

"Well I do," he quickly replied. Richard took her by the arm and led her back to where his wife was laying by the fire. He grabbed the cloak that Kahlan had been wearing earlier, having taken it off to wrap her up in a warmer blanket. "Put this on and sit down," he instructed. Cara complied and he sat across from her. "I think you shifted your loyalties to Kahlan and I without really understanding," he began. "I don't want blind devotion, Cara. That is what Rahl demanded. All I want is your help, but only if you are willing to give it freely."

"You are right, I do not understand," Cara replied. "You saved my life, I owe you…"

"No!" Richard let his frustration out through the single word. He shook his head. "You do not owe me anything. I saved your life because it was the right thing to do. That's all I want from you, Cara, to understand what it means to do the right thing."

She thought about his words for a moment. "I believed that helping the Mother Confessor, as I did, was the right thing. But that upset you."

He couldn't argue with her on that. Richard looked over at Kahlan again and a smile crept upon his face. "I love her so much," his voice was barely above a whisper. Even after what she had done, and the lies and her desire to continue on with Cara's help, he still loved her. Nothing could ever change that. He turned his gaze back to Cara. "I just don't want to see her suffer. I would do anything to avoid that."

"But she claims that the blood rage causes her to suffer," Cara told him what Kahlan had relayed to her.

"I know," he sighed.

Cara looked him in the eye. "Then what do you plan to do about it?" she asked in a challenging manner.

Richard couldn't help be impressed by her boldness. She and Denna were both still so much like children. But, where Denna seemed to be a lost child, Cara appeared to be a child testing her boundaries. He didn't know how he'd ever come to be a teacher figure to the Mord-Sith, but he decided to take the duty as seriously as possible. "I plan to help her," Richard replied. "But I plan to do it with patients and love, not torture."

"You are like no man I have ever known before, Seeker."

He smiled, looking to Kahlan again. "Someone else once told me the same thing."

They heard the sound of horses approaching and both were on guard. Richard relaxed when he saw that it was only Ensor and Raff returning. Ensor dismounted and handed his reins to Raff before greeting Richard. "We could only get the two horses," he nodded his head toward the animals behind him. "When we head out in the morning, Raff and I will walk. Cara can ride and you can take Kahlan on the other horse with you," he surmised.

Richard nodded in agreement and offered the man some bean soup that he had simmering over the fire. They both watched as Raff tied off the horses and then approached Cara with something in his arms. Cara grabbed hold of the fabric and examined it. "A dress?" she snarled, glaring at the man. "I asked you for clothing and you bring me a dress?" Cara held the dark blue dress up and shook her head in disgust as she noticed lace along the edge of the sleeves. "How am I meant to fight in this?"

"It was all we could find," Raff replied with a shrug. "I think the color will suit you and bring out your eyes."

Cara moved so that her face was right in front of his. "If you don't stop saying things like that, I will pluck out _your_ eyes." She stormed off into the trees.

Ensor suppressed a smile as Raff joined them by the fire. He watched Richard tending to his wife and noticed the gentleness with which he cleaned her wound. His heart went out to the man, knowing he'd give anything to be able to see his wife and children again. "We're not far from the D'Haran border," he let the Seeker know. "I think we can make it to the palace by nightfall tomorrow if we ride all day."

"Good," Richard replied. "The sooner, the better."

**xxx**

A new dusting of snow had fallen during the night, but the sun was melting it. The full force of winter was still a few weeks off. Richard found it hard to believe that he'd been sweating on a tropical island just a few short days ago. As he looked down at the woman in his arms, he recalled some of the time on that island quite fondly. He just wished things hadn't turned so ugly between them after that.

As if she'd sensed his thoughts about her, Kahlan stirred in his arms. He held the reins a little looser as she came fully awake and sat up straighter in her position in front of him. A smile spread over her face when she turned her head to greet him. "I fell," she remembered as one hand went to gingerly touch the cut on the side of her head.

"Yes," Richard nodded. "How do you feel?"

She glanced around for a moment. "A little dizzy and… maybe somewhat confused. It looks like Cara is wearing a dress."

Richard chuckled. "You're fine," he kissed the side of her head and wrapped one arm about her waist. Most of his worry faded as they rode along, following Ensor and Raff who were guiding them on foot. "We're nearly to the palace. Do you think you'll be able to fight?"

Kahlan nodded. "I'll be…"

Her words were cut off as they suddenly found themselves surrounded, ambushed. Tromani stood in a circle around them, their black cloaks clasped tightly with hoods up and weapons at the ready. Interspersed with them were Mord-Sith wearing their very recognizable red leather uniforms. The Tromani were not in a group of three, nor nine or even ten. It looked to Richard that there were several dozen of them. Even Cara seemed stymied by their number.

One Mord-Sith moved toward him and Richard recognized her after a moment spent searching his head. He had been a little disoriented the last time they'd been to the palace, but he recalled the red headed woman who had saved Chase's life. She held her hands on her hips and stared up at him. Then her eyes flicked to Ensor and settled. "Thank you, sergeant. You may very well regain your rank due to this favor."

Richard felt his stomach twist as he turned to the man who he'd thought to be a friend. "Why?" he asked.

Ensor shook his head, feeling terrible about the decision he'd been forced to make. "I'm sorry. They have my family, Richard. I had no choice."

"How touching," the Mord-Sith smiled as she returned her focus to Richard. "We did not get to meet before, I am Lise. I'll be the one turning you over to Lord Rahl very shortly."

Richard tightened his hold on Kahlan, trying to draw strength from her. "Darken Rahl is dead," he spat the words from his mouth as if they were made of poison. "I killed him."

Lise's eyes twinkled with uncontrolled delight. "I hate to disappoint you, but Lord Rahl is very much alive."

* * *

**To be continued…**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Part 7**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

The dungeon was cold and it stank of old sweat and urine. Richard knew that to be fairly typical of such places. The one which imprisoned him currently was simpler than most, cramped, though just wide enough to keep him from being able to reach Kahlan. She was chained to the wall opposite him, wearing a Rada'Han around her neck. A carved ditch ran along each wall to be used as a latrine. Other than that, there were stone walls and a dirt floor. No windows; no light of any kind. He could barely see a few feet in front of him.

Richard only knew Kahlan was still there because he could hear her. Without the use of sight, he'd gotten good at listening. At various times he could make out the gentle breathing of her sleep, the soft rustle of her dress or the scratch of her boots against the floor. He wasn't quite sure how many days had passed since they'd been captured, but estimated at least a week had gone by. Richard almost wished he'd taken up his grandfather's offer to count out a day with him and Denna.

The Tromani had taken Kahlan down rather easily, due to her weakened condition from the fall. Richard had been too concerned about her to put up a decent fight. She was constantly telling him that their feelings for one another would be a downfall. Maybe she was right, but he'd keep fighting for her and Leigha until he took his last breath. Cara had fought hard, until she was black and blue. But the others had outnumbered them, nearly ten-to-one.

They'd all been tied together and marched the rest of the way to the palace, then tossed into their current situation. Richard didn't know what had become of Ensor, Raff or Cara. He was worried about all of them; even the two men who had turned on them. Part of him was ashamed to be happy that he and Kahlan were trapped together. The rest of his conscious didn't really care. If he was to die, he'd rather it be with her than alone.

"Richard?" she called out.

"I'm here," he answered in a reassuring manner. "How did you sleep?" She'd told him several times that her head didn't hurt any more, but he still worried.

"I'm fine," Kahlan humored him. She had grown used to his protective nature.

He stared in the direction that he knew her to be and smiled, even though she couldn't see him. Richard felt certain that the action would come across in his words. "Have I told you about the tree on the piece of land where we're going to build our house some day?"

Kahlan grinned. She liked the way he was always able to distract her mind. "No, what tree?"

"Well, it's a very large oak tree, at least a hundred years old," Richard began. "The branches stretch outward in crisscrossing lines, and you can see the gnarled roots poking up through the ground. It sits all alone in a huge field covered in wild flowers, just like the one you told me you played in when you were little. There is a thick forest of pine trees to the west, and a mellow river that runs between the field and forest."

As she listened to him speak, her mind wandered to the spot. She could see it all clearly in her head. "It's sounds beautiful."

"It is," Richard agreed. "And attached to the oak tree is a swing that I built for Leigha. It's a simple wood plank with a length of rope on either side," he sighed wistfully, getting lost in the vision of the future that he hoped would come to pass. "Leigha loves to swing there; it's one of her favorite things. She sits on your lap and I push you both until she's giggling so hard that we all start to laugh." He paused and heard Kahlan sniffle. "Hey, that was meant to cheer you up."

Kahlan sucked back tears. "It did," she whispered, trying to collect her emotions. "I just wish it was true."

"It will be," Richard replied without hesitation. "You just have to believe it," he insisted.

She took a deep breath. "We'll see her soon."

He wasn't sure if she was asking a question or not. "We'll see her soon," Richard intoned, deciding simply to reiterate her sentiment.

"Do you think Rahl is really alive?" Kahlan promptly tried to find another topic of discussion. Since they'd been locked away they had not seen Rahl or the Mord-Sith, Lise, who had come to collect them. They hadn't seen anyone. Their food and water always came through a small pass-through in the door and they were forced to pull it forth with their feet. No one had told them a thing about what was going on.

"No." Richard answered. "It doesn't make sense. You were the one who told me that Rahl had a magical hold over the D'Haran people. If Rahl is alive, why aren't Denna and Cara tied to his magic? And what about Raff and Ensor? Whoever is doing all this took Ensor's family in order to force him to give us up. I would have done the same thing in his position. There was genuine regret for what he did to us. He didn't act like a man who still had ties to Rahl's rule."

She nodded, understanding the terrible position Ensor had been in. "But Denna and Cara are not exactly typical when it comes to Mord-Sith," Kahlan replied. "Denna broke away from Darken Rahl quite some time before you… killed him."

By the way she'd stumbled over the last words, Richard had a feeling his wife was not as certain about Darken Rahl's demise as he was. "He has to be dead."

Kahlan couldn't help feeling that he was making decisions from the heart, again, rather than the head. She wished that her husband's ideal world existed. Kahlan wished that hope, alone, was enough to make anything happen. But she'd seen too much recently that told her otherwise. "Shouldn't we at least make a plan for the eventuality that he isn't?" she countered.

The sound of heavy footsteps brought a pause to their conversation and they remained quiet as they waited for the small pass-through to be opened. Instead, the entire door swung open, surprising them both. Bright light from a few torches blinded their sensitive eyes and two soldiers rushed inside the small cell. "Release him. Leave her here." The woman's voice was not familiar to Richard but as he was pulled to his feet he noticed her distinctive red-haired braid.

"Richard!" Kahlan tried to stand but the chains at her wrists only allowed her to get as far as her knees.

"It's all right," he replied in an even tone, trying to keep her calm. Richard caught a glimpse of her face. It was the first he'd seen of her in many days. She looked tired and filthy, but still as beautiful as he remembered. "I'll see you soon," he smiled, hoping she would catch the reference to what they had said about Leigha.

Kahlan smiled too. "I'll see you soon," she replied, managing to let a small glimmer of hope into her heart. He always managed to do that for her, despite her constant doubts.

The guards carried Richard out and the door was slammed shut, engulfing Kahlan in the dark again.

**xxx**

Lightening flashed across the eastern horizon, causing the darkness to momentarily be awash in brilliant white light. It faded as quickly as it had appeared. Denna stared into the yellow-orange flames of the small fire and listened to the soft sounds of the baby in her arms and the distant clap of thunder. Leigha had been fed and changed but she was fighting sleep, not crying outward but making it known that she was anything but happy. Little fists fought against Denna's hold on her.

"She misses them," Renn spoke, pushing back the blanket from his bedroll. He looked around and found Hammond and Sister Nancy sleeping soundly on the other side of the fire. The boy moved so that his back was against one of the large rocks that surrounded the camp. Thunder from the growing storm had woken him.

Denna shifted Leigha and stroked her cheek, but it didn't seem to be working as well as it usually did. "How can you know that?" she finally responded to the boy's comment. "Leigha can't even speak properly, how can her thoughts be clear to you?"

"They aren't specific, but she knows her parents and she misses them." He was quiet for a moment before offering up further explanation. "I don't remember my mother very well, less and less as more time passes, but I know I loved her and I know I will always miss her." Renn gulped down his hesitation as he looked to the woman beside him. "It's no different than the way you miss your mother," he concluded.

"Do not do that," Denna growled. "Stay out of my head."

Renn lowered his gaze back to the fire. "I don't mean to," he whispered, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping both arms around them. "I try very hard not to hear and see the things in other people's minds. I don't like it, it's just who I am. I know you don't like who you are either."

"What I don't like is sitting," Denna huffed. "All I've done lately is walk and sit, trying to stay out of the fight. But I was meant for fighting, I'm not a person who likes to be still for very long. Fighting is what I do best," she declared as Leigha continued to push away from her.

"Only because you weren't given any other choice," Renn guessed. "I thought I was bad too, that I would only be able to use my power to hurt people, but Richard and Kahlan showed me that wasn't true. They took me to Thandor where I started a new life. The sisters there helped me learn about my gift, how to control and use it. Maybe you just need to find that too, a safe place where you can be yourself."

Denna wasn't sure what to say to that at first. "It's clear that you have spent time with Richard, you speak like him. You are still young, but I have been this way too long to learn anything else."

"That not true," he countered. "I'm sorry if I helped make you feel that way. I was scared of you at first," Renn admitted. "Thandor was the only place I felt at home since my mother died. Seeing it destroyed by those men and the Mord-Sith… well, I wanted to blame you for what they did. But I know now that you're not like them. You're not Mord-Sith."

She could not argue with his final words. Denna hadn't thought of herself as one of them for a while. "But I am still not a good person," she insisted.

The boy smiled, despite her words. "Good enough for Richard and Kahlan to ask you to protect their daughter. They trust you." Even in the dim firelight, he could see that she did not fully believe what he'd said. "You are fighting," he continued, undeterred. "Protecting Leigha is a different sort of fight, but it's still a very important one."

"Maybe they made a mistake trusting me," Denna replied.

He shook his head. "I don't think so," Renn smiled shyly as he watched Leigha continue to fuss. The memory of Kahlan's voice filled his head and his heart. "You should sing her the song, the one that your mother used to sing to you. I think she would like it."

"I said to stay out of my head," Denna was not angry so much as she was embarrassed. She could not recall ever feeling that way before, it made her rather uncomfortable.

Renn's smile faltered a little. "Kahlan sang to me once when I couldn't sleep. It was a simple song, but it made me feel better."

"She sings to Leigha as well," Denna replied. "But I am not the Mother Confessor. I do not sing."

"I know, but it might help." The boy retreated from his rock and snuggled down under the warm blanket again. He looked up at Denna and Leigha. "It might help both of you."

Denna closed her eyes for a moment and could hear her mother's singing voice as it echoed loudly in her head. After she'd been taken to train as a Mord-Sith, Denna had sung the song to herself over and over. Every night she had tried to comfort herself with the words and the memory of her mother's smile. But after a while, not even the song could block out the pain and the terrible things that happened all around her. The melody became lost to the world, just as she had.

Her voice was shaky at first as she tried to remember the words. "From the sky our sorrow rains, and in the night our strength regains." Denna didn't sing the words, but recited them softly. "Upon the wind our joy scatters, but in the end we find what matters. Inside our heads time passes slow, in this life we learn to grow." The words reminded her of the strength she'd always admired in her mother. They also made her think of Richard and the way he'd unwaveringly tried to open her eyes to a world of new possibilities.

Finally taking a moment to look down, she found Renn asleep at her feet and Leigha resting peacefully in her arms.

**xxx**

Cara listened to the silent room. She was growing weary of hearing nothing but her thoughts. A round window let in some diffused sunlight, leading her to believe that she was above ground somewhere. But, for all her time spent in the palace, Cara could not identify where she was. A shuffling noise greeted her ears and Cara prepared to face the Mord-Sith that usually came to check on her. Her hands were bound above her head, toes barely reaching the ground. There was little chance for escape, but Cara would not show weakness.

"Hello?" Someone called out.

Her nose wrinkled, knowing instantly who the voice belonged to. He stepped into her view a few seconds later. "Finally come to gloat?" she asked.

Raff shook his head. "Cara, I'm sorry."

"Apologizing is a sigh of weakness." She frowned as he walked closer.

The man nodded, recalling the exact same words having been taught to them by Lord Rahl. "Maybe," he answered. "But I really am sorry. Sergeant Ensor and I traveled together for many months after the others in our team were killed. He spoke often of his family. I have no family to speak of, so I wished to help him save his."

Cara bit down on the inside of her cheek as she regarded him. His hair was still a mess and the uniform he wore was dirty and creased, looking as if it had been worn several days in a row without a good washing. He also appeared to be sleep deprived; dark circles under his eyes. She wanted to be upset at him, angry for his part in their capture, but she found her resolve slipping. "Why are you here?"

A smile brightened his face, happy to be given a chance. "To help," Raff answered, pulling something from behind his back. It was a red Mord-Sith outfit. "I know how much you hate the dress," he nodded toward the tattered blue gown that she was still wearing. "I thought I'd make amends with this. I imagine it will help you get out of the palace more easily, if you look the part."

Her mouth was dry. She couldn't recall the last time someone had come to give her a drink. It had always been one of the Mord-Sith, sent to feed her or let her down so that she could relieve herself. Cara had come to hate the superior looks on their faces. "Given the choice, I'd rather wear the dress." She nearly regretted her answer as his smile grew wider than she thought possible. "If you are truly here to help me, maybe you could start by untying me."

Raff dropped the leather outfit and drew a small knife from the sheath at his waist. He fumbled with the lock that linked the chains at her wrists until she was free. In the blink of an eye, Cara grabbed his knife with her freed hands and pressed it against his throat. "I swear I'm here to help you," Raff whispered, trying not to move.

"You better be sincere, or I will not hesitate to slit your throat the next time." Cara let him go and flipped the knife around in her hand, offering it to him.

The man took his weapon and re-sheathed it. "We should go. They are holding the others in the dungeon." He pulled back part of the black cape he was wearing and revealed the item that hung on the left side of his waist. "Take it."

She let the smallest hint of a smile grace her lips for a second as she pulled the Agiel from his waist. It was the one part of her Mord-Sith life that would not be abandoned. They were trained by the Agiel until it became part of them, affixed like another arm or leg. "Thank you."

Raff knew well enough not to make a big deal out of the two words she had just spoken to him. As they fled, Cara realized that she'd been held in one of the upper towers, which were usually reserved for Lord Rahl's special conquests. The thought turned her stomach. She had given herself to the man freely a number of times in the past. But after Richard's refusal, Cara had started to wonder what it would be like to care about the man she was with. He had put the thought in her head, and try as she might, it would not let go.

They both knew the best way to reach the dungeons was via a maze of staircases at the rear of the palace. The two of them moved flawlessly, side-by-side, until they reached one of the entrances. It was being watched by two men. Two guards was not an insurmountable feat, but they would need to be smart about getting past them. Before Cara could think of an idea she felt wrist irons being slapped upon her and Raff was dragging her toward the men.

"What is this?" one of the guards asked as they approached.

Cara was incensed. "I…"

Raff quickly cut her off, grabbing her braid and mashing his lips against hers. When he stepped back a few seconds later, Cara was thoroughly confused and speechless. "Upon Lord Rahl's request, I'm taking her to a cell," Raff answered the men. "And maybe I'll stay with her for a while, you know, teach her a lesson for being a traitor," he grinned wickedly.

Both guards nodded and smiled supportively in return. "Here," one of them lit a small torch and handed it to Raff. "You'll need this to see."

The guards let them pass and Raff pushed Cara ahead. They walked silently for a short time until Cara was certain they would not be overheard. "You can remove the irons now," she spoke through gritted teeth and waited for him to do as instructed. As soon as she was free, they continued down the corridor. "Did you enjoy that?" Cara watched as the flickering torchlight caused shadows to dance across his face. The grin perched there was obvious. "Well, I'm glad, because it's the first and last time you'll ever be that close."

He chuckled, not threatened by her words. "This way," Raff guided. "I heard they were being held at the very end."

Cara disregarded his smile and snatched the light from him. She shinned the torch at every door and peered inside each cell. He'd been right, though, they found Kahlan behind the very last door. "Mother Confessor?" Cara called out to the woman as Raff picked the lock with his knife. "Where is the Seeker?"

Kahlan was relieved to hear Cara's voice. She shielded her eyes against the light as Cara stepped into the cell. "I don't know, they took him earlier," she replied. "This morning, I think. I'm not really sure when it was," Kahlan sighed. She spotted Raff standing behind Cara and her chest tightened for a moment. Kahlan looked to Cara and the woman confirmed his help with a nod of her head. Cara knelt before Kahlan and placed her hands on either side of the Rada'Han. She used her gift to thwart the device's magic and it opened for her.

Raff used his knife again to unchain Kahlan's hands. He helped her up and noticed that she felt a bit frailer than when he'd hoisted her over the cliff. Clearly she had not been fed well since they'd been taken. He didn't think her weakened condition would bode well for their escape plan, but Kahlan surprised them when she took off ahead of him and Cara. Kahlan held her head high in a determined stance. Her body ached with each step, but she would not succumb to the pain until Richard was safe.

At the entrance, where the two guards still stood, Kahlan grabbed the closest one with her right hand and the other with her left. All of her pent up frustration, from the last several weeks, flowed from her and mingled with the power that lay dormant until she called upon it. Her eyes pierced the soul of the first man, and then the second. They both fell to their knees before her. Fear for her husband's and daughter's safety kept her standing.

"Command me, Confessor," the men spoke nearly in unison.

"Take us to the Seeker," Kahlan ordered them.

**xxx**

Richard wished he had never suggested they step foot in the People's Palace again. But, as he stood in the grand hall where they'd made their last stand against the D'Harans months ago, he resigned himself to the task ahead. It wouldn't help to think about things outside of his grasp. He stared at the sword that lay just a few feet away, perched on a red-velvet cushion beside an ornate throne. Whoever was in charge had taken over Rahl's rule, palace and all.

Three rows of Tromani soldiers stood around him, along the east, west and south walls of the room. Richard tried not to dwell on their presence as something infinitely more worrisome clouded his thoughts. On a pedestal to the right of the throne sat the box of Orden that he and Kahlan had come to retrieve. It and his sword were right there, begging for him to take them. Richard felt his fingers twitch with anticipation, but knew that he needed to be cautious about any action that he took.

A man entered the hall and moved toward Richard. He was dressed in a tailored outfit that resembled ones Richard had seen Darken Rahl wear. But the man looked nothing like Rahl. His hair was much lighter and cut short. He was taller than Rahl by several inches. His body was a little bit stockier and he had green eyes. There was something about the man that struck Richard as being familiar, though, and it wasn't just the cockiness in his gaze that Rahl had often displayed.

The Mord-Sith, Lise, rushed into the room and approached the man. "Lord Rahl," she bowed her head for a moment then raised it again. "Our guards at the front gate report that the men you sent to Thandor have just arrived. They've brought what you asked for," her smile beamed with pride, pleased to have been the one to deliver such news.

"Go and escort them in," he replied. Lise scurried off in the direction she had arrived and the man took a few more steps toward Richard. He circled him for a minute, quietly smiling to himself in a satisfied manner. "I'm so glad you could be here for this momentous event," he turned to face Richard. "My position is nearly secure again."

Richard suddenly knew exactly why the man looked familiar to him. He had seen him before. "You're one of the men I had tied up to witness the burning of Rahl's body. You told me that I would not be able to escape; that I wouldn't win the battle. You were wrong," Richard spoke with thinly veiled animosity. "It's pathetic that you think you can take up where Rahl left off, even more pathetic that you have them call you by his name." he concluded.

The man grinned, not thwarted by Richard's words. "You won that battle," he agreed. "But the war is far from over. I'm surprised you haven't worked it all out yet," the man shook his head, still amused. "The one who spoke to you that day was not me. That man, Tullis, this is his body," he waved a hand over the length of his torso. "It's only a vessel for me now. It seems someone burned my other body."

Fear pooled in the pit of Richard's stomach as the pieces slid into place. "You are Rahl, somehow."

He nodded an affirmative. "It was not a very difficult feat of magic to transfer my conscious, at least not for someone as skilled as I was. I thought hiring and using the Tromani would throw you off my trail, but I should have known you were smarter than that. You always have been my most worthy opponent. Too bad that's all about to change. You have been most entertaining"

"Lord Rahl," a man's voice called out. Richard watched as two D'Haran soldiers led Kahlan, Raff and Cara into the hall with swords drawn. "We found Mistress Cara and this other traitor trying to flee with the Mother Confessor."

Rahl moved to stand before Kahlan. "I wasn't planning to deal with you until later. But I guess it doesn't matter if you are all here to witness my return to power."

Kahlan immediately looked to Richard. They could not speak freely but she managed to incline her head just a little toward the guards at her back. Richard's eyes widened as he noticed the look of blind devotion in their stares. Clearly Rahl was too preoccupied to see it. That would give them a small advantage, but there were still a lot of Tromani to get past. Richard quickly ran through the gambit of possible exit strategies in his head. He hadn't come up with much when Lise returned, two men at her heels.

The Mord-Sith took a cloth bag from one of the men and presented it to Rahl. "They brought these, but…" she hesitated just a second before continuing. "The child was not there when they got to Thandor," the woman revealed.

Richard felt his heart skip a beat. He could see that the news had affected Kahlan similarly. They both watched as Darken Rahl removed one decorative box from the bag. He placed it on the pedestal beside the other one there and then pulled out the last box that would complete the small puzzle. The bag was tossed aside and forgotten. Rahl sat the last box down, just far enough away from the others so they were not linked yet. He looked to Richard first and then turned his attention to Kahlan.

"You arrived late to the party and missed the formal introductions," he sneered. "Mine is the new face of Darken Rahl. Now, tell me where the child is," he demanded.

Kahlan looked to Richard again and saw the truth of the man's words etched upon her husband's face. She turned back to Rahl. "I don't know," Kahlan answered honestly. A small part of her was glad not to know so that he couldn't try to torture it out of her. But most of her was filled with dread, thinking about what might have happened to Leigha, Zedd and Denna. "I can tell you that as long as I'm alive, you'll never lay your filthy hands on her," she bravely declared.

Rahl slapped her hard across the left cheek. Kahlan felt the sting of it but reached out to take him with her power. He anticipated the move and was faster, grabbing both of her wrists and twisting them behind her back. He was sure to stay out of her line of sight as he leaned over her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Just as soon as I am able to secure another Rada'Han around your neck, I will be more than willing to let you touch me as much as you like," he chuckled as he motioned for a soldier to bind her hands.

Richard made a move toward Rahl and Kahlan, but was stopped by Lise. The tip of her Agiel against his chest caused just enough pain to make him step backward. Rahl ordered the two men behind Cara and Raff to hold Richard back. Richard reasoned that Kahlan had instructed them to do as they were told by Rahl, in order to keep up the ruse. He hoped it would be to their advantage. A group of Tromani closed in on Cara and Raff to keep them in check. Richard could see Cara straining to keep still for the time being.

Lord Rahl moved toward the throne and pulled something out from behind it. It was the cloth sling Kahlan had worn throughout their trip. He removed the fake child. "Rather inspired, trying to pass off a ball of straw as your daughter," Rahl laughed as he grabbed one of the nearest torches and lit a corner of Leigha's green dress. He dropped the doll upon the stone floor and let it burn. "And this," he pulled out Dennee's journal. "So sad that your sister is no longer with us," the words were directed toward Kahlan.

"Why are you doing this?" Richard was sick of being toyed with. "Kill us if that is what you intend, but this is cruel."

Rahl was not deterred as he kept his eyes on Kahlan. When he smiled it was hard not to see Darken Rahl's hatred shinning through the other man's eyes. "Did you know that some of my men managed to slip past you on the island? The others started that fight on the shore, to create a distraction. Those who returned here told me that it was your sister who took the boy's life, not them. Even as she lay bleeding to death, she fought against us, making sure we didn't get to him."

"Good," Kahlan replied, even though she wanted to throw up as she listened to what had happened. "I'm glad she didn't let you take him."

"Really? Would you be able to do the same thing?" Rahl taunted. "If I laid your daughter in your arms right now, would you kill her in order to keep her from me?"

"If I had no other choice, yes," she answered with resolute conviction.

"Enough!" Richard shouted. "Leave her alone."

Rahl paid no attention to him as he stepped away from Kahlan and threw the journal onto the burning doll. It easily caught fire as he brought forth another item. "The Book of Counted Shadows," he held it in front of her face. "The question of your daughter's life or death is really not an issue any longer. I have all the boxes and I will soon have the power of Orden at my disposal. The book will help me learn how to use the magic to its fullest potential. So, none of you matter any more." He turned and reached for the Sword of Truth.

Kahlan spun around and yelled out to the men at Richard's side. "Let him go!"

She ducked as Rahl swung at her. Richard rushed toward the man, colliding with him and countering his forward momentum. Rahl stumbled backward and retreated behind the throne with the sword still in his grasp. Richard pounced onto the throne's seat and vaulted himself over the back. He tackled Rahl to the ground and held the man's wrists, bashing them against the stone floor as he tried to free the sword.

Cara reached for the Agiel that had been tucked safely within the folds of her dress. Raff went for the sword concealed beneath his cape. He held it with his right hand and withdrew his knife with the left hand. As Cara kept the soldiers around them at bay, Raff scrambled toward Kahlan and knelt down to cut her free. He handed her the blade and they both joined Cara and Richard in the fight.

Rahl continued to struggle against Richard. The man was strong, but Richard felt he was slowly gaining an upper hand in their battle. Something didn't seem right to him about that. Rahl had been a formidable opponent before. Richard had nearly bested him once, but Rahl had used magic to trick him. He didn't seem to have any such tricks up his sleeve at the moment. A realization came to Richard as he thought about what Rahl had said earlier, about securing his position again.

A thin smile parted Richard's lips. "You lost your magic once you transferred to that body."

"A minor setback," Rahl confirmed with a growl.

Richard heard the clang of his sword as if finally fell against the floor. He was just about to grab it when he felt the icy-hot tendrils of an Agiel at his back. He let go of Rahl and turned around to find Lise staring at him. "You don't have to do this," Richard spoke through the pain as she hit him again in the chest. "You can be more than a slave to him."

"I believed that for a brief moment when I helped you escape before," the woman replied. "But then you left us behind to be used by Lord Rahl again. You don't care about anyone but yourself, Seeker." She stabbed him in the ribs, bringing him to his knees.

Her words hit him harder than the pain of the Agiel. He wanted to apologize, but never got the chance as he felt a blow strike the back of his head. Everything around him faded.

"Richard, no!" Kahlan watched helplessly as Rahl hit him with the hilt of the sword. A fiery rage coursed through her as Rahl stood over Richard's limp body with a smug smile on his face. He looked up and grinned at her too, just before he moved toward the pedestal that held the boxes. "No!" Kahlan yelled out again as her body began to shake. The blade in her hand fell to the floor as she doubled over from the pain of the Con Dar taking hold. Kahlan embraced the familiar feeling. She stood again and held one hand out toward Rahl.

He placed the third box and golden beams shimmered along the intersecting circles. Then a white burst of light ignited his eyes.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

I'm really sorry this part took so long. The next two are both already half done so I hope to have them up quicker. Please enjoy!

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Part 8**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

The metallic clang of weaponry echoed throughout the hall. It was joined by the distinctive sound of an Agiel as Cara battled beside the others. She and Raff were helped by the two guards Kahlan had confessed, but still there was just the four of them up against dozens of Rahl's loyal D'Haran and Tromani soldiers. Kahlan barely registered any of the fighting going on around the room. Her rage was focused solely on Rahl as he was taken over by the magic of Orden.

Rahl's light-filled eyes locked with Kahlan's blood-red ones as he issued an order directed at her. "Stand down, Confessor," he spoke in a deep, controlled voice. When the white light dissipated from his gaze, the man looked no different from before. But there was curiosity in his tone as he delighted in the concept of having control over everyone and everything. "You will not fight me. You can not harm me now," Rahl's smile returned as assurance permeated his being.

Kahlan was vaguely aware of an irritation at the farthest recesses of her mind. It was insistently telling her to do as Rahl had just commanded. But an even greater force urged her to defy his demand and whispered one of its own into her head. Her hand remained outstretched in his direction and she squeezed her fingers into a fist, feeling the invisible tendrils of her power seeking out his consciousness. "Wrong, you will die by my command," her voice barely sounded like any that had ever passed through her lips before. She was nothing more than pain and rage balled up tight.

"Impossible!" he exclaimed through clenched teeth. "You can not defy me," his growl of frustration gave her a small opening and Rahl felt his hold on reality falter a little. He put an arm up and shielded his eyes in an attempt to block her power. In his old body he had been immune to her, but he could not be certain of the fact in his new skin. Rahl stood his ground and managed to turn his thoughts toward the Tromani who had been paid and ordered to do his bidding even before the power of Orden had come under his command. He waved one hand toward the north wall where an entire line of them remained standing, waiting to join in the fight. "Kill her," he ordered them.

Both of her hands shot outward as she turned around and faced the line of men in their black uniforms with gold embossed breast plates. They all stopped short in their effort to reach her, swords drawn and at the ready. Their gazes connected with hers and all of them were instantly lost, turned to her side of the battle. The men promptly regrouped and aimed their attack on Rahl's other soldiers, including their fellow Tromani. The fight turned bloody as Rahl tried to call the confessed men back to his side.

"Confession can not be undone, not even by the magic of Orden," Kahlan's voice was devoid of any emotion as she turned toward Rahl again. She had no real control over her actions, but was fully aware of everything going on. Her eyes witnessed the acts her body made, but she could not stop herself. She screamed from inside the shell of her flesh, but none could hear her pleas for help.

"That's not possible," Rahl seethed. "I know a Confessor can be controlled by the power of Orden."

She stood there, her white dress torn and dirty, red eyes rimmed by dark circles and her body a tense coil. "You should have thought about that before you made me angry."

Realization dawned on him. "The blood rage is helping you resist my command." Another smile twisted his lips into a menacing sneer. "But, upon your death, my men will be released from your control," he concluded, still strong in his belief that he would win out in the end. Rahl took up the sword of truth in his right hand as she drew near. His eyes sought out another to be of service to him. He spotted Cara and halted her movements with a single word. When he had her attention Rahl made his demand known. "Kill the Mother Confessor for me."

Kahlan felt her heartbeat quicken as Cara approached. In the distance she caught a glimpse of Richard still unconscious on the floor. Inside, she was trying to use Cara's training to help fight the pain, but there was still no way to fully control her actions. Kahlan knew that whatever, or whoever, stood in her path would have to be destroyed. Cara managed to strike one small blow with her Agiel. It swiped across Kahlan's shoulder before the Confessor grabbed her by the neck.

Cara struggled to catch her breath against the pressure at her throat. She lost her hold on the Agiel but still tried to break free as Kahlan peered into her eyes. Her struggle was useless against Kahlan's iron-clad grip and Cara felt helpless. It was not a feeling she was familiar with, not since she'd been a child first taken by the Mord-Sith. The last time Kahlan had been caught in the blood rage, the Seeker had come to Cara's rescue. Now he lay across the room, unmoving. She could only manage to whisper a few strangled words, hoping to reach the Mother Confessor. "You… Mord-Sith leader… fight… this."

It took every ounce of controlled thought Kahlan had just to keep her body from ripping apart at the seams. She looked deep into Cara's eyes and sensed the familiar sensation that was about to pluck the woman's free-will from her. "Richard," Kahlan managed to cry out his name as her body shook from the effort it took to resist the Con Dar. "Richard, please save me," she whispered. Suddenly, Cara's blue eyes turned white. The whiteness radiated outward and engulfed Kahlan. The pain finally faded, as did the palace.

_White turned blue again; a blue sky overhead. Fluffy white clouds danced across the sky, and dark branches came into her line of sight. The branches retreated for a moment and then reappeared. Soon Kahlan realized that she was the one moving, not the sky or the branches. She looked down and spotted the top of a small head. Dark, wavy hair glistened in the sunlight. And there was laughter coming from the one who belonged to the hair. It was a child, a little girl seated on her lap. Her daughter. Kahlan smiled as Leigha looked up at her with a wide grin. She looked so much like her father._

_Kahlan turned her head to the right and found a thick tree trunk there, gnarled and worn from years of life. It reached upward and branched out across the pale blue sky, which she'd seen moments ago. At her back she felt a small twinge of pressure and then it was gone. It returned a second later and repeated again several more times. Kahlan leaned her head back, still holding on to her daughter and to one side of the swing. She found Richard there behind her, pushing them. He wore the same smile she'd just seen on Leigha's face._

_Richard grabbed the two lengths of rope on either side of the swing and gently brought them to a halt. Leaning forward, he placed a kiss against the top of Leigha's head. Then he kissed Kahlan upon her lips. "I love you," he whispered. "I will always love you."_

The soft echo of Richard's words broke the spell of her vision. The palace hall reformed around her and Kahlan let go of Cara's neck as if the Mord-Sith's skin had burned her. She took several steps backward and looked down at Cara, who had fallen to her knees. The Mord-Sith stared up at Kahlan with concern as Raff scrambled to Cara's side to help her up. Kahlan regarded them both with wonder as she still felt the Con Dar's rage coursing through her body. But the pain and the anger were no longer in control. She did not wish to hurt Cara, or Raff. She had control. The blood rage had turned into the fuel Kahlan needed to control anything she desired.

"Richard!" his name sprang from her lips with the gentlest of thoughts. She watched as he leapt to his feet, as if he'd been summoned to life by her very words. He looked confused, yet still wore a smile for her as they locked eyes. In the next instant, Kahlan commanded the sword out of Rahl's grasp with another simple thought. It moved across the room with ease and landed in Richard's left hand. A brief look was all they needed to convey the plan. She moved toward Rahl, who had grown enraged by her manipulations.

Rahl was done playing with people. They had failed him. He was a quick learner and directed his control toward the stone walls, glass windows and tin ceiling of his palace. The whole room began to tremble upon his command. One column to his right buckled and fractured into several smaller pieces. The ceiling creaked and moaned as tin panels broke free and flew across the room. The windows shattered and shards of glass fell like rain drops. Rahl grasped one large stone with his thoughts and only had to imagine the object hurling toward Kahlan in order to make it reality.

She swatted away the boulder-sized chunk of stone as if it were a feather. With one motion of her right hand, she summoned every bow and arrow in the room and lined them up in mid-air. They hovered in front of Rahl and the arrows were set free with only a flick of Kahlan's wrist. Nearly three dozen bolts sped toward Rahl but they all fell at his feet just before hitting their target. Kahlan was only mildly disappointed by the failure as she was simply trying to distract him.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Rahl's focus returned to Richard as the Seeker tried to wade through the bodies and get to the pedestal where the boxes of Orden still resided. Rahl sniffed the air around them and sensed the miniscule particles of moisture with his nose and with his mind. He called to them with his power and turned the still air into a whirlwind of fury within seconds. The storm coalesced into one large gust that he aimed in Richard's direction.

Richard wrapped his hand so tightly around the sword's hilt that he felt his fingernails digging into his palm. He struggled to maintain an upright position as he walked into the headwind that Rahl had created. When a thick wooden slab slammed down right in front of him, Richard nearly fell backwards. Then another similar looking chunk of wood landed beside the first and Richard felt some of the strain escape his body. He realized they were wood doors and they were blocking most of Rahl's gale. But the wood was splintering, and the barrier would not last long. Richard was amazed as he turned his head to see Kahlan ripping more doors right off their hinges to place in the path of Rahl's storm. With her help he was able to dash the rest of the way to the pedestal and dove toward it, sword outstretched.

"No!" Rahl's scream filled the hall as he lost his grip on the storm. Everything fell silent.

There was no more roar of wind, no crumbling of walls or crash of tin ceiling upon the stone floor. The wood doors had fallen over as soon as the storm died. Richard was worried about what that meant in regards to Kahlan, but he didn't try to seek her out; he could not risk anything getting in his way again. He lifted the sword high above his head and brought it down with great momentum, piercing the combined boxes. Rays of light shot outward for an instant as the boxes broke apart and flew off in three different directions. A second later, Richard felt himself being slammed against the stone floor. Somehow he managed to hold on to the sword.

Rahl straddled Richard and his fists sought out the bare flesh of the Seeker's face. Richard's momentary shock from the initial blow wore off and he brought the sword up, struggling against the weight of Rahl's body. The sharp steel blade glowed brighter than Richard had ever seen before. His anger flowed outward and fed the blade as he ran it through the soft flesh of Rahl's belly. Richard felt his opponent stiffen for a moment and easily pushed Rahl off, causing him to roll over onto his back.

"It doesn't matter," Rahl rasped as Richard got to his feet and stood over the man. He held the sword to Rahl's throat and watched as blood began to pool around his enemy. "Even if you kill me now, I have already sent another after your child."

Richard wanted to be done with the man, wished to wield the final blow and end it all. But he had to know what he was up against. "Another? Who?"

"There's an army of Tromani soldiers on her trail, thousands." Rahl tried to take a breath but felt blood at the back of his throat. His words became a whisper. "They have not proven to be very good assassins so far, but as an army force against one small baby who doesn't seem to have any sort of protection at the moment…" he trailed off for a second. "I'm sure you can see how she might not fair very well against such odds."

"Zedd and Denna will stop them," Richard was certain of it.

The dying man managed a small smile. "The other will not be so easily defeated."

Richard's jaw tightened. "Whoever you've sent will fail," he replied. "We've stopped you," Richard concluded.

Rahl's horse laughter filled the room. "You have stopped me," he conceded. "You can kill me now, again, once and for all." His smile remained. "I go willingly this time, knowing that your daughter will die too. The prophecy will be averted, with or without me. You may keep winning battles, but you can not win this war, Richard Cypher."

Richard regarded Rahl. The man wore a different face but the hatred in his eyes was the same. "I thought you had learned this by now. Telling me that I can't do something, only makes me want to fight harder," he repeated the words he'd said once before to the man whose body Rahl now occupied. The years of fighting had changed Richard's purely innocent outlook on life. "You couldn't avert the prophecy that claimed I would kill you and you won't succeed this time either." He trailed the sword point along Rahl's neck and down his chest. Finally he ran it through the man's heart. "There is no magic to save you this time," Richard declared.

As blood trickled from Rahl's lifeless lips, fire shot down Richard's left side. The sword slipped from his firm grip and was held only by the tips of his fingers. Richard turned to find Lise standing before him. She struck out again, jabbing her Agiel into his chest. His hold on the sword slipped entirely. "You don't have to do this," he whispered through the pain. "Rahl is dead now, really dead." Richard tried to reach her again. "I'm sorry that we left you behind before but it won't happen like that this time. You can be free now. I swear it."

"Your word means nothing to me. Besides, I wouldn't know how to be free," Lise replied in a monotone as she pressed her Agiel against his chest again.

He struggled for each breath, knowing his time was limited. Behind Lise he spotted Cara and watched as she turned her Agiel against the other Mord-Sith. "Cara," Richard tried to stop her even as he doubled over from the pain Lise had caused him. "Cara, don't do this," his words were ineffective as Lise fell to the ground in front of him. Her lifeless eyes stared past him, seeing nothing. Richard went to one knee and searched the woman's neck but found no pulse. He looked up at Cara with questioning eyes.

"You can not save everyone, Seeker," she made her view known to him. Her dress was ripped and her perfect braid was coming undone. Her chest heaved as she gazed down at Lise. Taking the woman's life had not been as easy for her as the Seeker seemed to think. They'd once fought on the same side. "She was going to kill you." Cara was utterly certain of the fact. She knew what it meant to be Mord-Sith and what it meant to have freedom. The look in Lise's eyes had been bent toward revenge only.

Richard sighed, shaking his head. "I saved you."

"No." Cara responded. "You gave me a chance to be more than Mord-Sith. I made the choice to save myself."

He watched her walk away, knowing in his heart that she was right. Richard also had a feeling that, in her own way, Cara had just thanked him for his part in her break from Rahl's rule. Wiping at the bloody lip Rahl had given him; Richard retrieved the sword and spotted his wife lying among a pile of rubble just a few feet away. He went to her and pushed aside some stones. A piece of ceiling panel was lying across her legs. When he cleared it all away she looked to be relatively unharmed. He smiled when her eyes opened and she looked up at him.

"I love you," Kahlan whispered.

"I love you too," Richard echoed the sentiment as he carefully helped her sit up. He held her close for a minute before pulling back. "Can you stand?" he asked.

She nodded. "I think so." With his help, Kahlan did stand. She looked around to assess the damage, some of which she'd helped to create. The mess didn't bother her as much as the realization that she'd been able to do such things. She remembered all of it. Her eyes caught on the dead body of one of the D'Haran guards she'd confessed. Kahlan spotted the other guard and all of the Tromani who had fallen under her control. Most had been killed by Rahl's storm, the others in battle. All were dead. She leveled her gaze upon Rahl.

Richard felt the sword being snatched from his hand, but didn't realize what was happening until he saw Kahlan moving toward Rahl with the blade. "Kahlan, he's dead. He's…" the words were lost as he watched her wield the sword and take Rahl's head with one swift slice. Richard was at her side in the next instant, taking the sword from her hands. "He's gone now, for good," he whispered in a comforting manner. "It's over."

Kahlan looked over at her husband. "It's not over. It won't be over until she's in my arms again." Richard could only nod as he led her away. As they walked toward Cara and Raff, Kahlan caught the slightly wary look in Cara's eyes. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

Cara's right hand instinctively went to her throat, which was already turning black and blue again due to the Confessor's power. Her fingers rubbed the injured skin. "You fought it," she replied. "The way I see it, you have nothing to be sorry for. You would have made a fine Mord-Sith."

Richard wasn't quite sure what they were talking about, but had the distinct feeling that Cara meant her words as a compliment. His feelings toward Cara were still a bit mixed, but he was glad to have her on their side. Raff could see that the others were somewhat disoriented, with reason. He took it upon himself to rally their small effort. "I think it best we get out of here, and soon. I felt no loyalty toward this new Rahl, but others did and I fear they may still hold to that belief, magic or not."

"He's right," Richard agreed, looking to Raff. "Will you gather the boxes for me?" he asked the man.

Raff performed the task with Cara's help. She grabbed the fabric sling from behind Rahl's throne, which had somehow survived the destruction that had leveled most of the rest of the room. Raff placed two of the boxes in the sling and secured the third in the folds of his cape, not wanting to risk the three of them touching one another. Cara searched the area for a moment and found the book. She tossed it into the sling as well and slung the fabric carrier over her left shoulder.

Kahlan leaned against Richard as they walked. No one came to stop them from leaving the great hall, and they weren't blocked from exiting the palace into the courtyard. Several groups of men lined the courtyard, but none made a move toward them. When they came upon a line of soldiers on horseback that were blocking the main gates, Richard and Raff drew their swords. Cara kept her Agiel close. Kahlan had not been able to retrieve Raff's knife or the daggers that had been taken from her before they'd been thrown into Rahl's dungeon. She was prepared to use her power to fight, or her bare hands if need be.

The line of guards parted and two riders came through. One wore a metal helmet, concealing his identity. But Richard could see the distinctive long white hair that whipped in the wind around his grandfather's face. A smile tugged at his lips as Zedd dismounted. He embraced his grandfather and felt tears prick his eyes for a moment, until Kahlan approached them both with a solemn look. She made no move to hug Zedd. Only one thing was on her mind. "Where is Leigha?" she asked him.

Zedd gulped and braced himself for whatever was about to come his way. "She's with Denna," he revealed. "When we discovered Thandor had been destroyed, I came to warn you two about the boxes. I sent Denna to Hartland with the baby. Hammond, Sister Nancy and Renn went with them."

"Hartland?" Richard was surprised at first until he realized it would be one of the best places for her. He knew Jennsen and Chase would both protect her with their lives. He turned to Kahlan and wrapped an arm about her shoulder, seeing how the news had hit her. They'd been apart for so long and now it would still be many weeks before they saw her again. That thought led him to recall what Rahl had said about the others sent after Leigha. He quickly let the group know of the situation.

A soldier on foot approached the other rider that had stopped with Zedd. "Sir, we have secured the palace. All Mord-Sith, D'Harans and Tromani have been killed or detained."

"Good," the man replied as he removed his helmet and dismounted. He made his way toward Richard and bowed his head slightly as he spoke. "I am truly sorry for what I had to do," Ensor apologized. "When I was certain my family was secured, I returned. I found the wizard here with his forces and helped unite them with a few loyal to me. As you just heard, we have now secured the palace."

Richard extended his hand toward the man. "I understand what you had to do. Thank you," he clasped the man's arm, pleased to have him on their side again. "And I assume you heard what I just told everyone about the Tromani?"

"Yes," Ensor nodded. "The wizard's men and my forces will all travel with you. We'll meet up with my family as we cross the D'Haran border into the Midlands. I'll not leave them behind again. And I vow that your daughter will not die as long as we all have something to say about it."

There was not much Richard could say in return. He was grateful beyond belief. "What kind of lead does Denna have?" he asked his grandfather.

"I left them a few weeks ago," Zedd replied. "I rode as hard as I could to get here, picking up the men from the resistance along the way. We got lucky when the Tromani were caught by a blizzard in the Hyland pass. It slowed them down enough for us to catch up. And I may have used a bit of magic to help clear the snow from our trail," the old man grinned.

Kahlan looked to Richard. "If there is any hope of getting to her before the Tromani army, we need to head out as soon as possible."

He agreed, knowing that the army probably already had quite a lead on them. Their only advantage was that the Tromani were searching for Leigha without knowing exactly where she was. He and the others knew the direction Denna had gone. And once then entered Westland, Richard knew the fastest trail to take to his hometown. Unfortunately, he also knew that their best course of action at the moment was one Kahlan would not like. "We should regroup and rest for a while."

"Richard is right," Zedd agreed. "It will be sunset soon and you have been through quite an ordeal here."

"You all can rest if you like, but I'm heading out now," Kahlan replied. Without another word she took off toward the palace gates. If need be, she'd fight every guard there to get past them and on her way to finding Leigha.

Richard looked to the others. "I guess we'll be heading out now," he concluded.

**xxx**

It was nearly an hour past sunset and the sky was already darker than the inside of the cell where Richard and Kahlan had been held at the People's Palace. Several oil lamps were hung securely to the side of the wagons that traveled with them. The wagons carried supplies and gave some a chance to rest. Torches were carried by those on horseback, and also a few of the walkers. Richard and Kahlan walked alongside one of the wagons. Ensor and Zedd were at the head of the group, Cara and Raff behind.

"I'm sorry Rahl burned Leigha's dress," Richard spoke up, trying to reach out to his wife who seemed to be slipping away from him again.

"She's probably outgrown it by now," Kahlan dismissed his comment.

He persisted, wanting to get her talking. "But you made it for her. And Dennee's journal…"

"They're just things, Richard," she shook her head and rubbed at one eye with the palm of her left hand, trying to stave off the fatigue she was feeling. "All that matters any more is finding Leigha," Kahlan breathed out and watched as the chilled air turned milky white. She pulled the heavy cape at her shoulders tighter so that it wrapped around her neck. "I was wrong," she whispered.

Richard hated the note of sorrow he heard in her voice, but latched on to the spark of conversation she had just offered. "Wrong about what?"

Her eyes remained facing forward. She listened to the soft crunch of snow beneath her feet and tried not to dwell on how cold she was. "I never should have asked Cara to help me, to train me with the Agiel," Kahlan finally replied. "I don't think it was about controlling the pain, not entirely. I was wrong and it could have cost us…" she trailed off for a moment. "It may still cost us our daughter's life."

"Kahlan, no," Richard reached out and took one of her hands in his. "You did what you believed was best. I couldn't see that before. All I could think about were my memories of Denna hurting me and I didn't want that for you. But you needed to understand the Con Dar so that you could teach Leigha. Maybe asking for Cara's help wasn't the right path to take, I'm not sure any more," he shook his head. "But you had to explore that possibility. There is nothing wrong with that. And we haven't lost anything yet, maybe we've missed out on a few messy diaper changes," Richard grinned, hoping to boost her spirits. "But we haven't lost anything yet," he maintained.

She turned to him and squeezed his hand, allowing that hopefully nature to seep in again. "I think it was love, Richard. The reason why the Con Dar pulls me in and the way out, it has been because of my love for you and Leigha. You would think someone who wields love as a weapon would have realized that sooner." The smallest hint of a smile spread over her lips. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"But you did," he replied.

"No, you saved me, Richard. You and Leigha, I saw you both in a vision. My love for you turned the Con Dar to my control." She smiled again, more assured in the belief. "You once told me that our love for each other had saved us. I believe it did this time too. I never really understood the true power of love until I met you."

Richard recalled the vision he'd had of her while enduring Denna's torture. She had saved him during that ordeal, and he was happy to return the favor. He pulled her closer, snaking one arm around her waist. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead. "I know how much you want to find Leigha, I want that too. But you should eat something and rest."

"I'm not stopping until I see her again," Kahlan replied, holding fast to that vow.

"Kahlan," he pushed a small bit of her hair behind one ear. "We've been through so much these last few weeks, and just today. You can barely keep your eyes open. If you keep going like this you won't be any help to Leigha, you'll be unconscious. Please, eat something and we can stop for an hour or two at most."

"No," she shook her head. "We can't stop."

He took a deep breath, wondering how he'd ever fallen in love with such a stubborn woman. Then he remembered how much he usually loved her strength of character. "Okay, then at least sit in this wagon for a while to rest your legs," he patted the side boards of the wagon beside them. "I'll go talk to Ensor and Zedd about continuing on through the night. We can have the men take shifts," he gave in.

"You promise we won't stop."

"We won't stop."

Kahlan finally nodded her agreement and settled into the back of the wagon with Richard's help. Shortly after Richard left to go speak with Ensor and Zedd, Cara appeared beside the wagon. Without a single word she reached over the side of the wooden rails and placed something in Kahlan's lap. She was out of sight again before Kahlan could say anything or even register what she'd been given. When she looked down at her lap, she found Leigha's stuffed rabbit there. Kahlan realized it must have been in the sling that Cara and Raff had placed the boxes in.

"Would you like some tea?" a soft female voice called to Kahlan, causing her to turn around. The woman had dark hair and wore a kindly smile that shown even in the low light of the oil lamps in the wagon. "My name is Chloe," she introduced herself. "Garreth told me a lot about you and Richard."

"Garreth?" Kahlan didn't recognize the name.

"My husband. You probably only know him as Ensor," Chloe replied. "Tea?" she asked again, holding out a small wooden cup to Kahlan. "It's not very warm, but it has chamomile to help you relax." The woman was happy when Kahlan took the cup and sipped the tea. "Garreth told me about what's going on, he said that your daughter is in danger and that you haven't seen her in weeks. I can't imagine what that must be like. I've never been away from any of mine for more than half a day, at most." She waved a hand to indicate the four youngsters huddled against the back wall of the wagon. "That's Daniel and Tanner," Chloe introduced the boys. "And the girls, Heather and Molly."

Kahlan smiled as the darker haired girl caught her eye. She found herself wondering if she'd ever get to see Leigha at that age. "Thank you for the tea," she took a larger gulp and savored the soothing liquid as it coated her parched mouth.

Chloe tried to say something to cheer the woman. "I'm sure your daughter will be fine."

"I hope so," Kahlan suddenly felt very lightheaded as she finished the tea. She handed the cup back to Chloe and barely managed to grab a hold of the stuffed toy in her lap before she fell backwards upon the wool blankets that lined the wagon.

"Kahlan?" Richard returned just in time to see her pass out. He looked to Chloe.

The woman smiled softly. "I'm sorry for not warning you, but I sprinkled a little Roma leaf in her tea. I knew it would help her rest for a while. She looked exhausted."

He felt his heart beat normally again. "Thank you," Richard looked down at his wife and noticed the rabbit that she was clutching. He tucked it under her arm and pulled a blanket up to her chin. Richard was glad Ensor had agreed to keep moving through the night. He wanted to see his daughter again so badly it hurt. He knew the desire was probably doubly worse for Kahlan. Even traveling through the nights, it would still be weeks before they reached Westland.

Zedd came to walk beside his grandson, having followed him back. "Now that she is asleep, you should rest too," he suggested.

"I will, soon," Richard agreed. "I just want to watch over Kahlan a little longer. She's been through so much and," he sighed. "I can't look after my daughter right now. Looking after Kahlan helps, a little."

"Leigha is safe with Denna," Zedd placed one hand on his grandson's shoulder. "I believe that. I would not have left them otherwise."

Richard sighed. "I know, Zedd. I believe that too." He chuckled softly at the thought as he looked at his grandfather. "How did the two of us ever come to depend on Denna?"

"I don't know," the wizard shook his head. "All I can say for sure is that life rarely ever goes according to plan."

* * *

**To be continued…**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

Thank you to the few people still leaving comments. I really appreciate it. :)

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Part 9**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

The whistling wind of a winter storm hummed through the rough-timber structure. And Denna felt more than a little out of place as she sat to one side of the long wooden table in the middle of Chase's house. The rest of the room was bustling with happy faces and activity. Emma stirred a large pot of bean and potato soup over the open fire. Laura kept busy cutting out biscuits at one end of the table. Renn and Chase's two youngest children were seated in a corner to the right of the fireplace. The three of them were attempting to make wood carvings using dull knives, but mostly they were laughing and eating sweetbread with honey and butter.

Hammond and Sister Nancy had gone into town. Denna almost wished she'd gone with them, as she was once again regulated to sitting. Across from her at the table, Jennsen sat with Leigha on her lap. She was feeding the child, or trying to at least, with little success. As Jennsen brought a spoonful of oatmeal toward Leigha's mouth, the baby turned her head at the last second and ended up with the lumpy fare all over the left side of her face. Leigha giggled and continued to shake her head from side to side as Jennsen tried to wipe up the mess and start all over again. But the stubborn little girl wanted nothing to do with the meal before her.

"The oatmeal is too thick," Denna spoke up as she reached for the pitcher of water at one end of the table. She then took Leigha's bowl, poured a little of the water into it and stirred the oatmeal. When she offered the baby a spoonful, Leigha ate it without evasion.

Jennsen smiled as she took the bowl and spoon back and finished feeding her niece without any trouble. "Thank you," she said over her shoulder to where Denna had gone to stand by the door. "I guess I never realized how picky babies can be. Justin eats anything I cook for him, so does his father." Jennsen's cheeks flushed a little as her thoughts turned to Oscar. Though she was staying with Chase and his family, Jennsen spent most of her time across town with Oscar and his son. Since finding Justin, the three of them had grown very close in just a sort time.

"I looked after her for several weeks on our way here," Denna spoke again, looking out the narrow window beside the door. "I learned a few things. That is all." She tried to shrug off the conversation, as if her knowledge of the child did not matter.

The younger woman knew that wasn't entirely true. In the weeks since Denna and the others had arrived in Hartland, Jennsen had seen first hand how attached Leigha had become to the woman. There was a time when Jennsen had hated Denna for killing her mother. She'd laid awake nights reliving the event in her nightmares. Now it was difficult for her to think of Denna as that same person. "You never talk about what your plans are for after Richard and Kahlan arrive." In Jennsen's mind there was no doubt that they would turn up. "Maybe you could stay close to them. I think Leigha would like that," she suggested, as casually as possible.

"Chase has returned," Denna opened the door, grateful for the interruption of their conversation. She'd been thinking a fair bit about what Jennsen had just asked, but she hadn't come across an answer yet. Denna watched as Chase stepped up onto the front porch and shook the snow off his cloak before entering the small cottage. "Has there been any word or sign of them?" she immediately asked him.

The large man's head moved side-to-side in a negative response as he was greeted by his wife with a quick kiss. Emma took his cloak and hung it up. "None at all," he verbally answered as he moved to stand by the fire and rubbed his hands together vigorously to warm them. "My scouts in the eastern mountain pass returned this morning. They reported there has been no sign of Richard or the others. The worst of the winter weather is about to hit, so I've ordered them to remain in town. If Richard and Kahlan are on their way they will have to stop for a while too, due to the weather," he reasoned. "We can resume our scouts in a few weeks when the sun starts to stay out longer," Chase concluded.

"That is not good enough," Denna replied in a terse manner. "I doubt Richard and the Mother Confessor will stay put anywhere as long as they are searching for the child, not even for bad weather. I will leave tomorrow at first light," she informed Jennsen and Chase. They both looked like they wished to protest but neither dared to say a word. "I promised the wizard that if I did not see them all within a month's time, I would come after them. That time has come and gone. I will not sit here any longer." She turned her attention fully to Jennsen. "I'll need you to pack the warmest things you can find for the child, and food."

Jennsen's mouth hung open for a moment, but she finally found words. "You can't take her with you," the young woman protested as she ran one hand over Leigha's soft, dark hair.

Denna barely blinked in response to the objection. "I plan to leave in the morning and I will not let her out of my sight," she made herself clear. "Richard, the Mother Confessor and the wizard all entrusted me with the life of that child. Wherever I go, she is going as well," Denna concluded. "Now, you can either do as I ask or I will do it myself. Those are your only two choices in this matter."

"No," Jennsen replied defiantly. "If you are determined to take Leigha and go after my brother and the others, then my decision is to go with you," she proclaimed.

Chase, having listened to the whole conversation, exchanged a brief look with Jennsen and then with his wife. Much was conveyed without words. Finally he glanced over at Denna. "I will gather another force of men, ones who have had time to rest. We will be joining you as well," he declared.

Denna was still not entirely used to the idea of having people offer her their help, but she was grateful for it and nodded her agreement.

**xxx**

A light dusting of snow covered the densely wooded area, but it was not enough to be a hindrance to their travels. The cold was more of a bother than anything, fierce winds gusting down from the north. Denna kept her pale blue cloak pulled tight beneath the heavier animal pelt that Emma had let her borrow for the journey. She followed Chase's lead as they made their way along the southern path. The trail swung them around the base of the mountain range. Though it would take them a little longer, going over any of the mountain passes at the moment was not feasible due to the snow pack. Chase knew it was the route Richard would take in such a situation. He'd been worried about his friend from the moment Denna showed up at his door with the child. Chase was still worried, and though it was unlikely, he dearly hoped Richard was near.

Jennsen walked directly behind Denna and Chase, taking cautious steps upon the slushy ground as she held on tight to her bundled niece. Just half a day's travel into their journey, she was already missing Oscar terribly. But she certainly understood that he had not been able to bring himself to leave Justin behind, not after what had happened the last time. Hammond and Sister Nancy stayed bunched up close to Jennsen and the baby, both having insisted on coming along. Renn had also made it clear that he would not be left behind. He walked just to the left of Denna, keeping up with her and Chase.

The winter sun was at its highest position when Denna called for them all to stop and rest. If it had been just her she'd have continued on for days at a time, but traveling with a baby had taught her to take plenty of breaks along the way. Chase retreated to the rear of the group to check on his men and make sure their tracks were being covered properly. Although they were headed toward the Midlands where the enemy would most likely be coming from, there was still no telling from which direction a foe might find them, and he'd prefer not be caught from behind.

Renn sat down beside Denna on a modest sized bolder that was frigid to the touch. He left the pack on his back and crossed his arms across his chest to hold some of his body heat in. While Denna divided her portion of dried meat and biscuits to share with him, Renn regaled her with an animated story about how he and his friend Henry had once, accidentally, caused one of the Sisters of Light to fall into a pond. Denna had grown to appreciate the boy's company over the time spent traveling with him. He had an easy, innocent outlook on life, a lot like that of Richard. It was one Denna wished she could emulate.

A barely detectable rustle of tree branches alerted Denna to the danger around them, even before the voice confirmed her suspicions. "Well, isn't this perfect. All of you sitting down for me, caught completely off guard."

The meal on Denna's lap fell to the ground as she jumped to her feet and shoved Renn behind her. She reached for her Agiel as a ghost from the past approached, or rather, the form of a Mord-Sith she thought had died months ago. The woman's hair was extremely short, sticking out at odd angles from her head. The deep black of it was enough to remind Denna of the ebony braid that once flowed down her back.

"Jelka," she spoke the name, noticing the burn marks that disfigured the Mord-Sith's face. Red leather covered the rest of a body that was likely riddled with similar looking burns. Denna rested one hand against her Agiel and knew the mistake she'd made for a second time. She, and the others by extension, had been tracked by the magic of her weapon. Denna caught Chase by the forearm as he made a move to strike the other woman with his freshly sharpened axe blade. She dropped her hand and, with a simple look, bade him to stand down for the moment.

"Thought I was dead, did you?" Jelka's grin was menacing. "The Mord-Sith you tried to commandeer came to by rescue. Lise breathed life back into me, for which I shall always be very thankful. It seems loyalty is hard to come by these days," she chuckled, mockingly. "Lord Rahl is still with us too," Jelka continued as dozens of Tromani soldiers moved in and lined up at her back. "By now he probably has the Seeker and the Mother Confessor safely tucked away at his palace. Maybe he has already killed them. Pity I'll have to miss that, but…" the Mord-Sith peeked over Denna's shoulder and spotted Jennsen and the baby in her arms. "I have been given the chance to perform an equally rewarding task." She pulled the Agiel from her waist and stepped toward the child.

Denna intercepted Jelka, standing between her and Jennsen. "You will not harm that baby," she declared. Her Agiel struck Jelka across the face, like a slap, only ten times more painful.

"That was a mistake, Denna." Jelka's burned face scrunched into an arrogant smile as she recovered from the blow. "Do you see the army I have with me?" she asked, inclining her head toward the soldiers gathered behind her. Jelka scanned Chase and his men, assessing their numbers. "It is more than you have," she spoke with utmost confidence.

"Determination can win out over quantity," Denna replied. "Didn't I teach you that?"

The Mord-Sith chuckled mirthlessly. "What you taught me is worthless now," Jelka replied. "You are nothing but a traitor. But, since there once was that bond of sisterhood between us, I'm willing to offer you a deal. I honestly do not wish to kill all of these people. They are free to go, as long as you hand over the child to me," she laid down her terms. "I will even give you some time to think about it. You can meet me one hundred yards west of here, at sunset. There is a river there and I'll be waiting along the bank. Bring only yourself and the child. If you come alone then I will kill you and every last person with you until I get the child." With that she turned and ordered her men to follow.

Several minutes later, Jennsen finally dared to speak as she held Leigha even closer to her chest. "We can flee," she suggested, keeping her voice a soft whisper. "While they have their backs turned to us, we can run."

"I hate to say it, but I think this Jelka may be right. It is doubtful our forces will be enough to fend off her army," Chase voiced his opinion as he looked Denna in the eye. "But I will stay and fight with you if that is what you wish."

Denna digested the opinions set before her on how to proceed. It was pretty obvious that they were all looking to her for a plan. She had led the Mord-Sith in battles before, but the decisions she'd made then never had any consequences. They'd gone willingly to their deaths, without thought of who might miss them. There had been no one to miss them. But the child in Jennsen's arms would be missed by many, herself included. Renn, Jennsen, Chase and all the others… they would be missed as well. If she did not heed Jelka's warning, it was likely they would all be lost.

"The only place we could run to at this point would be back to Hartland," Denna finally spoke. "If Jelka follows us there with her army it is probable she will order the whole town to be slaughtered, including all of us." She took a deep breath before revealing her intentions. There was no easy answer, only a truthful one. "I think the only thing we can do is give her exactly what she wants."

**xxx**

A lone owl hooted from a nearby perch as the sun hovered just a few inches above the horizon. Denna could see the last rays of sunlight through the trees across the river. The water appeared mostly dark in the fading light, but reflected the red and orange of sunset against its rippling current. The river was moving faster than Denna had been expecting. And, due to a sharp chill in the air, she had a pretty good feeling the water was at least twice as icy as it looked. Denna adjusted the weight of her bundle as she approached Jelka.

The sound of the baby's fussing drowned out most of the owl's call. Denna stopped in front of Jelka, who had her back to the river. For a fleeting moment, Denna thought of kicking the woman into the ragging water. But just as soon as the idea arose, the Tromani moved in all around them. They leveled bow and arrows at her and drew swords to protect Jelka from any advance she could hope to make. Denna stood by, not wanting to upset the deal that had been struck.

"I must say I'm surprised that you actually showed up," Jelka spoke as she turned toward the river. "I figured that I would be just about ready to send my army after you. To be honest, I was kind of looking forward to it. But you came, and even brought the child," she turned around again and inclined her head toward the bundle in Denna's arms. "Perhaps you are not the traitor I thought you to be after all?"

"Oh, I am," Denna quickly replied. "I wish never to associate myself with you or any that call themselves Mord-Sith, ever again." Her voice held a confidence that rivaled any she had falsely boasted during her reign as Rahl's number one mistress. "I have come here to do this only for the others, so that all of this senseless fighting can end. I see no reason for all of them to die needlessly."

Jelka smiled, seeming satisfied with the answer. "And you are willing to let me kill the child in order to strike this bargain?"

Denna looked down at the bundle. The wool blanket covered every inch of the child to keep out the cold. But a soft whimper still drifted across the night air. She turned her head for a moment and looked in the direction that she had come from, where the others were waiting. Denna turned back to face Jelka again. "Yes," she finally answered.

"Good, then hand her over," Jelka made her demand, arms outstretched.

"No," Denna shook her head. "I agreed to your terms of this exchange, but you will follow my rules," she made herself clear. "I will be the one to kill the child."

The other woman's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"Yes," Denna set her jaw as she resigned herself to the task. "I wish to do it now, here. She will be thrown into the river and left to drown," she concluded.

Jelka turned toward the river again and waved one hand in the water's direction. "Then so be it," she agreed easily to the rules. "The sooner this is all over, the better. I can not wait to return to D'Hara and relay the good news to Lord Rahl. My guess is that he will make me his prized mistress from now on."

It took all of Denna's control not to reach for the Agiel at her side and finish off Jelka. But again she knew the effort would be useless. There were too many of them to fight. "Give me some space so I can take the child to the water's edge." Her words were not a question, but a demand. Denna didn't have much left on her side other than callousness. When Jelka ordered the soldiers to move back a little, Denna walked forward and knelt down beside the river. As the baby continued to softly cry, Denna turned her head again to search the area behind them.

"What are you waiting for?" Jelka asked as she took a step toward Denna. "Do you believe the Seeker is going to ride up and save you, or his child?" she scoffed at the thought. "He is probably dead by now, but you already know that. Now get on with this so I can return to Lord Rahl and help him plan our next move. With our path clear of this child, we will do many great things together."

"Together?" Denna turned back to the river, watching the water flow over rocks that rose up in the center. "You are deluded if you believe Lord Rahl will ever treat you as an equal or even a lesser partner in his rule of the land. You're expendable, as we all have been in this madness. I finally realized that, but it seems you will die while still eating his lies."

Jelka thrust her Agiel into Denna's shoulder for a second and then pulled back. "Shut up," she growled. "End this," Jelka pointed toward the bundle. "Do it now!" she demanded.

Denna was grateful that she could no longer hear the gentle crying. She ignored the dull ache in her shoulder from Jelka's brief assault, it was barely a pin prick compared to what she'd endured all her life. The light was almost completely gone and she could see only a short distance down river. Denna knew what she had to do and slowly extended her arms out over the water. She held the bundle there for a short time, again hearing Jelka's sharp instructions to proceed. "Please forgive me if this does not work," she whispered to the night before letting go.

"Now!" Jelka shouted.

In a blur of confusion, Denna sensed what was happening but could do nothing to stop the events from unfolding as Jelka's Agiel connected with the back of her neck. She watched the bundle as it managed to stay afloat, being jostled quite a bit by the swift current. Then, from the corner of one eye, she saw a soldier take aim with his bow. He set an arrow free and it zinged through the air. The bolt landed with precise telemetry, hitting the bundle and causing it to sink. Denna quickly reached for her weapon, but Jelka was just a second faster and ripped the Agiel from her side. She aimed both weapons at Denna.

"You don't think I'm stupid, do you?" Jelka asked of the woman on her knees. "I may have been badly burned, but I assure you my reasoning was left fully in tact. This way, I guarantee that the child can not be picked up further down stream, in case you stationed someone there to retrieve her."

Denna could see the woman's smile shine even as the last sliver of daylight faded. She looked overly pleased with herself and Denna knew in that instant that she would not be likely to walk away from their confrontation unscathed. Almost on cue with her thoughts, the fiery prickle of one Agiel ran down her spine as Jelka trailed the weapon along her back. The second, Denna's own weapon, was pressed to her neck as Jelka leaned forward.

"Well done, though," Jelka spoke in a patronizing tone. "At least you followed through with your end of the deal. I will honor mine as well," she agreed. "So, it seems that you will not die a traitor," Jelka whispered the last words in Denna's left ear. "You will simply die alone," she concluded as her Agiel made contact with Denna's chest.

The soft, damp grass along the riverbank cushioned Denna's body as she fell backwards. She was dimly aware of the sights and sounds around her for a moment. Denna heard the orders Jelka gave her army to retreat and hurry back to D'Hara as quickly as they could. She listened to the heavy footfalls of booted soldiers and the gentle lull of rushing water. As she lay there, assured that the others would be safe, Denna embraced the feeling that permeated her whole body. For the first time since she'd been a child curled up on her mother's lap, Denna let herself know love; what it meant to love and what it meant to sacrifice anything for the love and safety of another.

She closed her eyes and didn't feel pain any longer.

**xxx**

The howling yip of a coyote sounded in the distance as Kahlan came to join Richard at the front of their group. The animal howled again and was joined by a chorus of others as they concluded their nightly hunting activities. Kahlan took Richard's hand, letting him know she was there. He turned and smiled at her. The sun was slowly rising as he extended his free hand and pointed with one finger toward the north. "Do you see those foothills?" he asked his wife. When she nodded, his finger trailed across the landscape, down to the south. "And that pine forest just ahead of us?"

"Yes," she finally spoke. "I see them both. Are they significant?"

Richard nodded and smiled again. "We passed into Westland overnight. The Nara foothills and the Indwell forest, I know those places. Hartland is only about two days travel from here."

Kahlan's brow furrowed a little. "I don't remember crossing this place before, either time that I entered Westland."

"That's because we're much further south," Richard replied, inhaling the deep, rich sent of pine and sap as they continued to near the forest. "The fastest way into Hartland is normally through the Geyer pass, but the snow pack this time of year would actually make it take longer. Zedd has done a good job of keeping the snow to a minimum, but I can tell its taking a toll on him and we may need his magic for more important matters. This way we swing past the mountains. It will only take half a day longer, at most." He turned to face her again. "I promise we'll be there soon."

It was all she could do not to suggest they take two horses and ride the rest of the way as fast as they could. But Kahlan knew they would need the army behind them if they came up against the Tromani that Rahl had sent out. She'd taken down Rahl and the others at his palace only because of the Con Dar's power. And, though she now held the key to quelling the blood rage, she could not summon it. The magic was different than her Confessor's power which lay dormant until she called it forth. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm her anticipation. They had been moving as quickly as possible under the circumstances. That first night away from the palace had set a tone and they'd traveled day and night ever since, stopping only long enough to wash up a few times and to hunt and gather food. It still seemed like it was taking forever.

Cara joined them at the front of the group a moment later. "The day shift is fully in place," she announced. "Ensor and the others on night watch are resting now."

Kahlan watched as Richard nodded in acknowledgment of the report. He and Cara had been getting along better the past few weeks and she hoped the bad blood between them was gone for good. They needed Cara's help and expertise. The woman was also becoming something along the lines of a friend to Kahlan. Shortly after leaving the People's Palace behind, Cara had confessed to Kahlan about the proposition she'd made to the Seeker. Kahlan had adamantly described the sort of retaliation in store if such a thing ever transpired again and the conversation had ended with a clean slate between the three of them. The Confessor no longer felt any inhibition about speaking her mind to Cara.

"You finally changed out of your dress?" Kahlan observed.

Cara nodded. "I will never understand how you can fight in such a garment." She waved her hand at the white Confessor's outfit that Kahlan still wore.

Kahlan nearly chuckled, grateful for the minor distraction as her thoughts had been entirely focused on Leigha and being so close to Hartland at last. "You seemed to do just fine at the palace," she noted.

The former Mord-Sith shrugged. "I am good at making do," Cara replied. "These," she motioned toward the dark tunic and pants that clung to her body beneath the warm wool cloak at her shoulders. "Raff found these for me on the last scout he went on. That makes three times in which he has presented me with clothing. It is a bit odd, but I am glad to be rid of that frilly thing."

"Men often show they care in odd ways," Kahlan replied as she squeezed Richard's hand. He'd remained quiet during the conversation but turned to her with a look of feigned offense on his face. She smiled and simply squeezed his hand again in a placating manner.

"Care?" The blond-haired woman questioned the term, as if the concept was foreign to her.

Kahlan once again found herself nearly on the verge of laughter. "Cara, I know the Mord-Sith pride themselves on not showing emotion and dealing only with pain, but surely it hasn't escaped your attention that Raff is interested in you."

"Raff has been loyal," Cara began, choosing her words carefully. "He fights well and has proven himself worthy of being on our side."

Richard tried to keep his eyes ahead as they walked, keeping close watch for anything out of the ordinary. But he couldn't help glance at his wife again as they both shared a knowing look in regard to Cara's comment. Richard returned to his scan while Kahlan replied to Cara. "I told you that love turned out to be the key in controlling the Con Dar. But I believe your training played a part as well. I had to endure the pain in order to seek out the memory of Richard's love for me. I don't believe anyone can understand love without first understanding pain. But I think you have known enough pain to last many lifetimes, Cara. Perhaps it is time you learned about love."

"Are you discussing the day's route?" Raff interrupted as he came upon the others without warning.

Cara flashed Richard and Kahlan a look that told them to be quiet about what they'd just been discussing. They both heeded her warning, knowing she would be more than happy to introduce them to new levels of pain if they did not. "Yes," she replied to the man, turning her head toward the line of trees that they were approaching. "We are about to enter the forest, right Seeker?" Cara asked, though the answer was excessively obvious to anyone with eyes.

"Correct," Richard answered, humoring her as he tried to hide a smile. He was still worried about his daughter and Kahlan, but it was nice to have a lighthearted moment in which not everything seemed quite so dire.

"And that will lead us…" Raff's words were cut short by a soft grunt and then a deep moan as he felt fire pierce through his left thigh. Looking down he found as arrow protruding from his leg. Blood began to trickle downward as another wave of pain shot through his right shoulder. The second hit was the one that sent him to the ground.

"Take cover!" Richard shouted as he drew his sword. He used the weapon to deflected two arrows in short order as they retreated. Richard pushed Kahlan ahead of himself toward the nearest wagon; the one Ensor's family was traveling in. Even though he knew she could fend for herself, his first instinct was always to protect her.

Ensor was already up and alert, having barely gotten to sleep after a long night of travel. He swiftly helped his wife untie the extra D'Haran shields that they'd brought along and tied to the side of the wagon. Each was carefully placed to cover a child. Kahlan took over for Ensor as he and Richard went about rallying the other soldiers into attack formation. They both knew that the arrow strike was a typical Tromani prelude to full-on assault.

Cara remained at the front line with Raff, even as arrows rained down and embedded into the ground all around them. She knelt in front of him and screamed in his face. "You need to get up! We must retreat with the others!" Her arms strained from the task of lifting his heavy form.

"You should leave me," Raff insisted. "I can't move. Go!" he pushed against her.

She paid no attention to his protests and managed to get him to his feet again. Just a second after she'd slung his right arm across her shoulders, a jolt of pain seared her chest. Cara struggled to stay on her own feet as she glanced down for a moment to inspect the damage. Refocusing on her first priority, Cara's only hope was that Raff would be too distracted by his own wounds to notice her injury. She helped him hobble to a safe place and Zedd greeted them both as they slumped down behind the wagon, away from the swirl of action.

"Heal him," Cara demanded of the wizard as she used her heavy cloak to hide her injury.

Kahlan dropped down beside the three of them, having finished helping Chloe. "Will he be all right?" she asked, looking on as Zedd removed the arrow from Raff's shoulder.

"Should be fine," Zedd replied as he pressed his right hand against the wound, quickly closing up the small hole. After that he repeated the process on Raff's leg and was pleased that both injuries healed easily.

"Cara," Raff called to her as he regained his senses.

Hearing the concern in the man's tone, Zedd and Kahlan turned around to where Raff was pointing. The sight that greeted them had not been expected. Cara laid there propped lazily against one of the wagon wheels. Her cloak hung open to reveal the front of her new tunic, which was soaked in blood. Zedd wasted no time as he broke off the arrow's tip and then pulled the other end out through her back. Blood spurted out even faster as soon as the arrow was removed.

"Dear spirits, I think it pierced her heart," the wizard gritted his teeth as he placed both hands over Cara's chest.

Kahlan held Cara's head in her lap as Raff scooted over and took one of her hands in his. They both watched the golden glow of Zedd's hands as he worked his magic. But the bleeding didn't seem to stop. "Zedd?" Kahlan finally looked to him for an answer, though she was afraid of the one he might give.

Zedd sighed, sitting back on his knees. "I'm sorry," he shook his head. "There is nothing more I can do. She's gone."

* * *

**To be continued…**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
P****art 10**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

Kahlan tried to concentrate as soldiers danced all around them, waving swords and using bare fists to strike the enemy. She could not see Richard anywhere and worried for his safety as a man fell to the ground just beside them. His chest was torn open, blood flowing freely as early morning light shown through the trees. Kahlan looked to Zedd again, then Raff and down at Cara. She had seen so much fighting and death in her young life. Most recently the loss of the other Confessors, her sister and nephew had nearly broken her, not to mention being separated from her daughter for months. She wanted it all to stop and suddenly realized that there was at least one death she could reverse.

"If I revive her, can you heal the wound?" Kahlan pointed at Cara's chest as she directed her question toward Zedd.

Zedd's brow knitted in confusion. "If you revive…" he trailed off as the realization struck him. The lines in his forehead softened a little and he nodded. "You know I will do my very best," he answered with conviction.

"What are you going to do?" Raff asked, shifting his gaze between Zedd and Kahlan, not following their conversation.

Kahlan made no response, but focused her attention solely on Cara for a moment. She remembered the gift Denna had given her to save Richard's life. With him it had been easy enough; all she'd had to do was think about how much she loved him. Kahlan couldn't exactly do the same for Cara. There was no love between them, but there was a growing affection; a bond of new friendship. And there was desire for her to live, more than she figured most Mord-Sith put in to reviving those they tortured. She leaned over and called forth the breath of life.

In a shorter time than she thought possible, thin wisps of white breath emitted past her lips and snaked into Cara's mouth. Kahlan sat back again and swallowed the nervous lump that rested in her dry throat as she watched the woman for any sign of life. It came in a gasp as Cara's body shuttered back to consciousness. Raff grasped her with both his hands as she sat up and looked around. He held her as close as he thought safe while she let reality sink in.

Cara glanced a moment at Raff then her eyes flicked to Zedd who was already fast at work with his hands laid over her chest. Lastly, Cara's blue-eyed gaze settled on Kahlan. She knew what had been done. That familiar sensation of returning from beyond had permeated her body a time or two before. And she knew that the only one among them with such a gift, other than herself, was Kahlan. "As much as you try to deny being Mord-Sith, you keep acting like one," Cara spoke in a whisper as the pain of her injury slowly receded.

Raff grinned, pleased to hear Cara's voice, though his first words to her were an admonishment. "What you did back there to save me was very foolish," his smile remained as she turned to him. "But thank you."

The woman who had once lived only to cause others pain, grinned ever so slightly as she faced the man. "Just because I saved your life, it doesn't not mean… well, I was just returning the favor," Cara concluded in a matter of fact tone.

"Of course," Raff nodded.

A small smile turned the corners of Kahlan's lips upward as she witnessed their awkward exchange. The moment ended abruptly when she heard the screams of children above her. She jumped to her feet and found Chloe being wrestled out of the wagon by a Tromani soldier with cruel intent shining in his eyes. He held a sword against the woman's throat and the girls were frantically clawing at their mother. The boys, only slightly older, were doing their best to pull their sisters away from the danger.

Kahlan wasted no time and caught the man off guard as she grabbed him from behind. One hand clinched the base of his neck, her fingers squeezing so tight that he stood no chance of escaping. Her magic was unleashed a second later and the man lowered his blade from Chloe's throat. The woman scrambled away and dove beneath the safety of the shields where her children lay in wait. Kahlan was glad for Chloe's fast thinking and commanded the man to turn over his sword to her. She then instructed him to fight for their side and watched him obey the demand, stalking off to find his first victim.

His sword felt heavy in her grip. Kahlan was used to her twin daggers which allowed for easier flow of movement. Even when she'd briefly wielded the sword of truth, it had felt lighter to the touch. But, at the moment, it was the only weapon she had other than her Confessor's power. And she quickly made good use of it, bringing the sword up as two men came toward her. She sliced one man's arm and made a second swipe at his chest which sent him to the ground. Kahlan felt a hot spike of pain against her left forearm. She turned to investigate the wound, but the cut wasn't very deep. Regaining her focus, Kahlan drove her sword into the second man's belly and watched him fall beside the first.

When she looked around, Kahlan found Raff and Cara on their feet, both with weapons in hand. Further inspection allowed her to see that Zedd was holding on to the side of the wagon, struggling to stand under his own weight. The repair of their wounds had obviously cost him a great deal. "The two of you stay with Zedd, Chloe and the children," Kahlan instructed as she gazed into the melee, hoping to catch a glimpse of Richard. "Do not leave them unguarded!" she shouted before sprinting off.

Slicing her way through a sea of soldiers, Kahlan finally spotted Ensor. He stood to the left of a line of archers who were drawing back arrows. Several other men were lighting torches. It was perfectly light out but she knew the purpose of the torches was not to see, but to burn. The soldiers with torches, upon Ensor's order, ran along the line of archers and lit their arrows. When the torch bearers ducked for cover, the archers let their weapons fly.

Kahlan turned to the line of trees, where the Tromani had set their fortifications, and watched the flaming bolts hit their targets. They did so with expert aim. She marveled, though, at those Tromani that remain and were still headed their way. There were more of them gathered than she'd ever seen at one place before, even more than at Rahl's palace. Kahlan caught Ensor's attention for just a moment, long enough for the man to incline his head toward the west before he rallied the men for another similar strike. Kahlan dashed off and cut down two more of the enemy before she caught sight of Richard.

Richard had his back to one of Ensor's men; it was just the two of them fending off a horde of Tromani that had circled around them. Kahlan thought nothing of striking the outer circle and did so with great gusto. She worked her way to the middle where she and Richard exchanged the briefest of looks and never stopped fighting. Slowly the circle began to thin, even as the other man on their side lay bleeding at their feet. Within a few minutes the attackers pulled back. Richard watched the group lower their weapons. It appeared that they were all whispering, passing along a message. Then, as suddenly as the whole attack had begun, it ended. Those Tromani who could still run, or walk, retreated and disappear completely into the trees.

"What just happened?" Kahlan asked, lowering the heavy sword to her side.

Richard shook his head as he spun around, scanning the landscape. "I'm not sure, but I don't like it," he cautiously replied.

Ensor came jogging toward them a second later. "Richard!" he called out. "What do you want us to do, follow them or stand down?"

"I suggest you stand down while you have the chance." It wasn't Richard who gave the suggestion. The three of them turned toward the female voice that approached them from the north. "I have called them away for now, but they can be back in an instant. And what you just tasted was only a small fraction of the army I have with me."

Richard's free hand balled into a fist and the hand around his sword squeezed the hilt harder, even though he knew the Mord-Sith that approached could use the sword's magic against him. He didn't care. He was tired of fearing the Mord-Sith. "Jelka," her name caused a shiver to run down his spin. "I see you and Rahl both managed to escape your fiery deaths. What a shame," he shook his head. "Too bad your new Lord Rahl is in the underworld now; he won't get to watch your true demise either."

Jelka's smug smile slipped for a moment, but her confidence remained. "You expect me to believe that Lord Rahl is really dead?" she scoffed. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"You won't get the chance," Kahlan growled as she took a step toward the woman with her sword at the ready.

Richard reached out and caught his wife by the arm. "She's mine," he spoke, dropping Kahlan's arm and bringing his sword up so that both his hands wrapped around the hilt and the tip aimed toward the sky. He could already feel the full power of Jelka's magic and was disappointed that she hadn't been stripped of her ability as Rahl had. Still, he had learned a lot from Denna on how to endure.

"I really am impressed, Seeker," the woman droned as she held her hand up, deflecting the sword's magic. "You've killed Lord Rahl for good," she conceded to the idea only because it served her purpose. "It's just too bad your daughter had to pay the price. But I guess you couldn't be at two places at one time. She died quickly, though. I saw to that. After Denna tossed her into the river she might have survived for a short time, but the arrow to her chest, well, I imagine that had something to do with her sinking below the water's surface."

Kahlan moved forward again. "That's a lie," she spat. "You've lost, Jelka. No amount of lies will help you now."

"You wish it to be a lie," Jelka grinned.

"I know it!" Kahlan shouted.

Jelka looked smug again. "I saw it happen," she continued in a calm voice. "I watched Denna sacrifice the child to save herself."

Richard remained in his stance, sword held close to his body by both hands. He wanted to reach out to Kahlan, to comfort her, to assure her that he believed Jelka was lying too. But he remained focused on the pain he felt as Jelka continued to casually deflect the sword's magic. "What did you see, Jelka?" the question found its way to his lips.

The woman looked moderately annoyed. "I have already told you, Seeker. The child is dead, I watched as Denna threw her into the river. That is all."

"No," Richard's voice remained as calm as the Mord-Sith. "What did you _see_?" he persisted. "Did you see Leigha? Her head? Her hands or arms? Legs or feet?" the questions came in a long breath. "What part of her did you see slip below the surface of the river?"

"None, not exactly," Jelka clenched her jaw. "It was nearly nightfall, the air was frigid. Denna had her completely covered due to the cold," she explained.

The Seeker remained deadly still, watching the disfigured woman from behind his sword. "It was cold?" he nearly chuckled as he repeated her statement. "Why would Denna care about Leigha being cold if she planned to throw the baby into a freezing river?" Richard's eyes narrowed as he continued to poke holes in what Jelka had told them. "You saw nothing, no skin, no baby," he concluded.

Jelka's nostrils flared as her right hand hovered above the Agiel at her side. "I heard her," she replied. "I heard the child crying. Now stop trying to make me doubt what I know to be true. I ordered the men with me to stand down because I do not wish to kill the innocent people here. When I realized you and the Mother Confessor where here, I called them off. I only want the two of you, the rest are free to go. It is the same offer I made Denna and she took it. I suggest you do the same."

"No," Richard replied. "I don't make deals with those who murder innocent children, or even those who only plot to kill them," his words were such a soft whisper that they could barely be heard, even in the silence that now surrounded them. But they all heard the guttural cry that escaped his lips as he used all of his effort to swing the sword of truth. He took Jelka's head with one clean slice then fell to his knees as the last of her magic caused pain to flair brightly in his stomach. Richard leaned over and vomited the second the sword slipped from his grip.

Kahlan was at his side in an instant, her sword discarded. She knelt down and put a hand to his back. A soldier appeared at her side a moment later with a water bladder and a cloth. Kahlan wet the cloth and dabbed at the corners of Richard's mouth. He sat up and took a swig of the water, swished it around in his mouth for a moment and then spit it out. Richard took Kahlan's hand and stopped her gentle ministrations. He wrapped his arms around her and laid his head against her shoulder. "It's not true," he whispered.

She stroked the back of his neck and repeated the words. "It's not true."

Neither one was sure how much time had passed when Ensor tapped Richard on the back. The man offered Kahlan his hand and helped her to her feet then repeated the process with Richard. "The Tromani forces have retreated fully; my men say they are headed east. Back toward D'Hara most likely."

"All of them?" Richard asked. Ensor nodded. "Jelka must have given the order in case she didn't make it, so they could pass the word to Lord Rahl about Leigha's death," he sighed.

"I can send a group to follow them," Ensor offered.

Richard shook his head. "No," he replied. "They're not a threat at the moment, and hopefully once they discover that Rahl is dead they'll give up this cause." He shrugged, uncertain if that would be the case or not. His left index finger pointed toward Jelka's body but his eyes remained on Ensor. "I want you to stay here and burn her. Do not leave the body for one single second until it is nothing but ash and bone. When you're finished, resume course to Hartland. You'll continue heading west another half a day. When you meet up with the river turn north," Richard explained. "But first, I need you to get us your two fastest horses," he told the man as his gaze rested upon Kahlan. "We can reach Hartland faster on our own."

"What the Seeker meant to say, is your three fastest horses," Cara said as she came to join them.

"Better make that four, actually," Zedd spoke up, looking determined to go along with them even as he rested heavily against Raff at the moment.

Ensor ordered his men and four horses were ready for them in a matter of minutes. Richard mounted, as did Cara and Zedd. Cara carried the sling with two boxes of Orden while Zedd had a third tucked into one sleeve of his robe. Kahlan was just about to place her right foot in the stirrup when someone called to her. "Confessor," a soldier approached. His uniform was dirty and bloody from battle. He held something out to her that was wrapped in a dark cloth. "I found these back at the palace. Raff told me the other day that they were yours. I'm sorry, I didn't know," he bowed his head as she took the wrapped item.

Kahlan was surprised to find her daggers and smiled a thank you to the soldier as she sheathed them, one in each boot. "Kahlan, wait!" another called out. She looked up to see Chloe running behind one of her daughters; the older one with dark hair. Kahlan had come to know the girl as Heather and the child still made her think of what Leigha might look like at that age. The girl held a stuffed rabbit in her hand and gave it to Kahlan. "You said it was Leigha's favorite, she'll want it back," Heather smiled.

"Thank you," Kahlan leaned down and hugged the child, hoping to be able to embrace her baby girl in the same manner very soon.

The others exchanged brief good byes as Kahlan stowed the rabbit in a saddle bag and mounted up. Richard urged his horse out in front and Kahlan fell in behind him. They were followed closely by Cara, and Zedd took up the rear as the four of them bolted toward Hartland as fast as the horses would carry them.

**xxx**

Chase moved stealthily through the trees. His grace was surprising given his size and the many varied weapons that he wore. Branches dropped clumps of wet snow down his back and along his covered arms as he moved toward the thick pine where Jennsen was waiting. He slipped around the tree and stood beside her, taking a moment to catch his breath. "My men say they saw riders headed in our direction, three of them, maybe four. They couldn't get close enough to tell if they were any of Jelka's army come back or not, apparently a few of them had hoods pulled up," he concluded. "No matter, though. We have them surrounded."

The young woman held her knife close in one hand. It was the same blade that Kahlan had given her and taught her how to use. She hadn't seen the woman she considered a sister, or her brother, in many long months. She prayed that they were close and that Jelka was not returning to renege on her word. "I'm not surprised some are hooded," she whispered, pulling her own cloak closer to her chin. "It's freezing out here and that fog rolling in is not helping matters," she noted. "I'm impressed your men could make out anything in the haze."

He nodded but put a finger to his lips as he heard a disturbance behind them. With one hand he indicated for the woman to follow him as he moved away from the cover of the tree and its wide branches. The burly man stood out in the open with his feet planted firmly on the lightly snow-covered forest floor. Jennsen did her best to immolate his stance, though she was more than half the man's size. Her spirit made up for any lack of bulk.

The riders abruptly stopped in front of them, their horse hooves sending up a light spray of snow. Chase stood his ground. "Halt and reveal yourselves!" he demanded, axe in one hand and a small knife in the other. "What is your business in these woods?"

"Chase?" Richard questioned from atop his stead. He'd been ready to draw his sword, seeing the road block before them. Now his face split from the strain of a relieved smile.

The former boundary warden pulled down the hood of his cape and grinned up at his friend. "You were meant to state your name, not mine," he chuckled.

"Richard!" Jennsen exclaimed as she pushed back the hood of her cloak as well. He had barely dismounted when she collided with him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You don't know how good it is to see you again, brother," she stepped back and could not stop a few tears from falling. A second after she'd let go of Richard, she felt another set of arms around her. "Grandfather," she sighed against Zedd's chest as she closed her eyes and savored the moment. With her second reunion finished, Jennsen took a step toward the third, but she was stopped short by the plaintive look in Kahlan's eyes.

"Where is Leigha?" Kahlan asked, looking to Jennsen and then to Chase in short order. She'd ridden all day, non-stop with the hope of finding her daughter safe. Now her doubts began to trickle in as her eyes searched the dense forest. "Did Denna make it to Hartland? Are she and Leigha safe?" the questions came with no room for answers in between. "Where is my daughter?"

Jennsen took a deep breath as she turned to Chase and a silent question ran from her eyes to his. The man looked to Richard. "Are you being followed?" he asked.

"Only by friends," Richard responded, anxiously awaiting an answer to Kahlan's questions. "We encountered Jelka's army a ways back. She is dead now and Ensor is following behind at a distance to make sure none of the other Tromani have doubled back to come after us." He took a quick breath and regarded Chase and Jennsen again. They looked very nervous and he didn't think he would like the reason why. "Do you know where my daughter is?" he finally put his voice to Kahlan's inquire.

Chase motioned them all to follow him and they did so silently. They moved through the forest for only a few minutes until the trees parted and revealed a large clearing. The sun was sinking fast as it neared the horizon. Jennsen continued forward as Chase stopped the others. The young woman took a few steps toward a large maple tree on the other side of the clearing. "Hammond, Sister Nancy, Renn," she called out. "It's safe now. You can come out. Richard and Kahlan are here."

Kahlan tried to slow her rapid heartbeat as she watched Sister Nancy, a woman who had looked after her like a mother, emerge from behind the tree. Renn walked to her left but there was nearly three feet between them and she couldn't spot the third person Jennsen had called. As they neared, the air between the two shimmered and suddenly formed into the short, rotund figure of Hammond. His hands were held in an odd manner near his left shoulder as he looked to his left and then right. A second later, a bundle of wool blankets shimmered into view, right into a prefect fit with the position of his hands.

Hammond drew down one of the blankets a little. Kahlan felt her stomach lurch as she spotted the back of a small dark-haired head. She took a few steps and closed the gap between herself and Hammond. Her right hand reached out toward the bundled figure. "Leigha?" she whispered her daughter's name ever so softly. The girl instantly turned her head and her face lit up when she spotted Kahlan. Little arms fought against the wool blanket until they were free and Leigha stretched them outward toward her mother.

A tear rolled down Kahlan's left cheek as she happily obliged the girl's demand. She'd kissed nearly every inch of her daughter's face when she felt Richard's arms wrap around them both, sandwiching Leigha between them. He kissed Leigha as well and the girl giggled and smiled as if she hadn't a single care in the world, as if she'd seen them just yesterday. Richard kissed Kahlan too and then reached up to wipe away her tears. Neither of them could think of anything to say that would mean more than holding their baby girl.

"You remember me and your Mama don't you?" Richard finally broke the silence.

"Ma!" Leigha exclaimed.

Kahlan looked down at the little girl and grinned. "Did she just…"

"I think so," Richard smiled too, nearly as happy as Kahlan was to hear the term their daughter had uttered. He let go of his wife and daughter for a second and glanced around the area again, happy to see the faces of those he cared about most in the world. But someone was missing from the group. "If Leigha is here with all of you, where is Denna?" he finally asked. "She wouldn't leave Leigha."

Jennsen shook her head. "No, she wouldn't."

Without further word from any of them, Chase again led the group on a short, silent journey. It didn't take them long to reach the river and there was no need to explain where Denna was as they spotted the blanket covered figure lying on the bank. "Dear spirits, no," Zedd rushed to the body and knelt down. He pulled back the blanket and had his fears confirmed. Denna's eyes were closed and she looked peaceful as Zedd ran a hand over her cold, yet still perfectly braided, hair.

Cara knelt beside the wizard and leaned over the other woman. She used the breath of life, but nothing happened. "How long has she been here like this?"

"Since sunset, yesterday," Chase revealed.

"Then there is nothing to be done for her," Cara shook her head as she stood.

Zedd remained beside Denna's body as Richard turned questioning eyes toward the others. "What happened here?"

"Jelka killed her," it was Hammond who replied, his voice thick with emotion that he rarely revealed. "I was just over there by that tree," he waved a hand at the wide trunk of a nearby fir tree. "I saw it happen, but I could do nothing. She made me swear not to reveal myself until they were all gone. I could not," he sighed. "I had to protect the child."

"How could you just stand by and let her be killed?" Richard asked. He was still uncertain as to what exactly had occurred, though he had a feeling he may have guessed correctly before when he'd questioned Jelka about what she'd seen.

Chase stood beside his friend. "Jelka wanted the baby and swore to kill us all if she didn't get her. Denna believed it best to give her what she demanded, or at least show her what she wanted to see. We dressed some twigs and tree branches in Leigha's clothing and bundled it up tight in a blanket."

"Much the same as you did before, with the decoy child you set off with," Hammond explained.

Jennsen took up where they left off. "Denna rendezvoused with Jelka, while Hammond and Leigha stayed hidden nearby. Jelka had seen the child earlier so Denna reasoned that if she at least heard the baby crying she would believe it was really Leigha in her arms."

"I must apologize for my part in this," Hammond spoke up again. "I'm afraid I had to pinch the child just a little to make her cry. Then I had to gently hold my hand against her mouth for a moment because I could not get her to calm down in a timely manner. Denna kept looking over her shoulder, silently warning me to quiet the child. We both knew that she could not throw the bundle into the river if the baby was still crying."

"So it was all a trick," Zedd almost chuckled as he realized what she'd done. He looked down at the woman again, a lone tear rolling down his cheek. "Denna used Wizard's first rule."

"People will believe a lie because they want it to be true," Richard repeated part of the rule that his grandfather had taught him. He felt a tug at his arm and looked down to find Renn at his left side.

"I'm sorry, Richard. I tried to warn her." Renn had tears streaming down his face as he spoke. Even for all of the things he had seen and done in his short life, he was still a child. "She wanted to know if Jelka had been telling the truth about the deal she made. I told her it was true but I also told her that I saw revenge in Jelka's head. She wanted to make Denna pay for helping you. I don't remember her exact thoughts, but it was something about Denna helping you at the People's Palace when Jelka believed she should have had you to herself."

Richard remembered that horrible time. He squatted to be at eye level with the boy. "What happened was not you're fault, Renn," he tried to assure the child. All eyes were on Richard and the boy as they embraced.

"The Seeker is correct."

Heads turned toward the familiar voice and eyes grew wide as they stared at the vision of Denna hovering above her dead body. Her light-colored hair was free of the tight braid and flowed over her shoulders. Her spirit wore the same light blue dress and there was an aura of white light around her. "None of this was your fault, Renn," Denna assured the boy. She looked to Richard, then to Zedd and Jennsen in turn. "I took a life from you, one that I could not restore. Now I have helped save one for you. It is not nearly enough to repay that other loss, but it was all I could give."

Zedd could not speak past the lump in his throat, but Richard found words. "I didn't want that, Denna, not like this. Not at this cost. I forgave you. You should have lived much longer."

The spirit smiled serenely. "Do not feel sorry for me, Richard Cypher. It is because of you that I lived at all," Denna replied. "I survived when that was all I could do. But I lived when you gave me the chance to live. I lived much longer than I ever imagined I would. I lived long enough to know love again, the love of friendship," she looked to Zedd. "And love for this very special child," he gaze turned to Kahlan and Leigha for a moment. "In this place, there is peace and understanding. I know that she has a great destiny as the prophecy foretells." She looked to Richard again with ghostly intent. "The lands she is meant to destroy; it is not as you think." A smile returned. "For now, though, she should be able to live her life. And knowing I helped give her the chance to do so, as you did for me, is worth ten lifetimes."

Kahlan regarded the spirit as she held Leigha closer, the little girl's cheek pressed against her own. She could think of only two words to convey her gratitude to Denna. "Thank you."

Denna's spirit nodded and then her vision slowly faded. But they all knew that their memories of her, both good and bad, would never fade.

* * *

**To be concluded…**


	11. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, _Legend of the Seeker_.

Well folks, I really had fun writing this story. I hope you will enjoy this last little bit. Thank you for all of your awesome comments!

* * *

**Child of Two Truths  
****Epilogue**

By N. J. Borba

* * *

The dense cover of winter fog had cleared by mid-morning the next day. The sky was clear and blue, even the sun was shining by the time Richard returned to his tent. He stood outside the fabric and pole structure for a moment while absorbing the sunlight, as well as the sights and smells of the land where he'd grown up. Thoughts of showing Leigha the land buoyed his spirits for the first time in many weeks. Richard wore a smile as he pushed back the flap of the tent. Inside he was greeted by the loveliest scene he had ever witnessed.

Kahlan lay on her left side, propped by an arm and her legs covered in heavy wool blankets. She had one hand against Leigha's tummy and the girl was laughing as she gazed up at her mother with wide brown eyes. "Say Mama again," Kahlan prodded the child.

"Ma!" Leigha mimicked.

"You better stop that or I might get jealous," Richard said as he entered the tent. He settled down on the other side of Leigha and leaned in to kiss his daughter's forehead. "I think it's time we taught you to say daddy," he grinned. "Daddy?" Richard repeated the word. "Dada? Da?" he continued to try and nudge the baby. Leigha looked up at him, eyes squinted and a stubborn look on her face. Richard cocked his head. "Mama?" he whispered.

Leigha's face lit up again. "Ma!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry," Kahlan shrugged. She pushed herself up on her hands and leaned over Leigha to kiss her husband. "You left very early this morning," she noted while returning to her previous position on the bedroll.

Richard nodded as his hand joined Kahlan's atop Leigha's tummy. "I thought you were asleep."

"I fell back asleep," she answered, noticing that he had avoided her question. Kahlan decided to turn the conversation. "It's very quiet out. Where is everyone?"

He looked to Leigha again who had grasped his hand and was chewing on one of his fingers. "Cara and Zedd are still here. Hammond, Sister Nancy and Renn are getting ready to leave. Chase and Jennsen have already headed back to Hartland with the other men. Chase wanted to get back to Emma and the children, and it seems Jennsen has someone she wished to get back to as well."

Kahlan's brow rose. "Who?"

"Oscar and his son," he replied.

"Really?" Kahlan smiled. "I'm glad."

Richard nodded. It had taken him a moment to wrap his head around the news when his sister had first told him, but he quickly warmed to the idea. After all they'd been through, Richard was happy for them both to have each other. He tickled Leigha's neck and delighted in the sound of her belly laugh. "Oh," his eyes met Kahlan's. "Ensor and his men were here early this morning. I immediately sent them along to Hartland. They'll need rest and a place to find supplies before they set off back to D'Hara, or wherever they all decide to settle."

She listened to everything he was saying, but there was something he wasn't saying and she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Finally she voiced her concerns, wondering if they were anything like his. "I was wrong again, wasn't I?" Kahlan sighed, one hand softly caressing her daughter's cheek. "She's here with us and in my arms again," she looked to Richard. "Rahl and Jelka are dead for good this time and the Tromani have left, but it's still not over, is it?"

"I don't think so," he shook his head, feeling sorry for having to agree. Richard sat up and put a smile on his face, trying to mask over the realization that they might never be free to live their lives exactly as they wished. "Come on," Richard scooped Leigha up and stood. He extended a hand to Kahlan and pulled her up. "There's something I want to show you."

Kahlan was curious as she pulled on her heavy cloak and wrapped Leigha up in some warmer blankets. She remained sufficiently curious as Richard led them outside, across the clearing. They walked along the river for a short time and then turned into the forest for several more minutes until the pine and fir trees parted to reveal a vast meadow that spread out in front of them as far as their eyes could see. In the middle of the winter landscape stood one of the tallest oak trees Kahlan had ever seen. Aside from the lightly snow speckled ground, the land looked almost exactly like the place in the vision she'd had in the Con Dar; the vision that had been born of Richard's description.

Richard stopped them in front of the tree and Kahlan noticed a large patch of ground that had recently been dug up. "It took Chase and me several hours to dig up the frozen earth this morning, but I wanted her to be here. Maybe that's foolish of me," he shrugged. "But this place has special meaning for me and, even after everything wrong she did, she saved Leigha's life. I don't know that she ever had a special place to be in her life, so I figured I'd give her one in death." With one hand to his cheek, Kahlan assured him that his heart was in the right place, as it always was. "I also placed two of the boxes with her," he concluded.

She frowned. "I thought we were going to find a way to destroy the boxes. Wasn't that the whole point of us being away from Leigha all this time and going to the palace?"

"It was," Richard replied.

"Then why…"

He sighed. "I can't stop thinking about what Denna said about the lands Leigha is meant to destroy not being what we think. I've had my doubts about the whole prophecy as well," he revealed. "Zedd told me that prophecy can not always be taken in the literal sense. And you discovered the key to controlling the Con Dar, which means it's doubtful that Leigha could ever be corrupted by the power of Orden." He paused a moment, gathering his thoughts. "What if we've been thinking about it all wrong? What if uniting the three lands is the form of destruction the prophecy is really talking about? What if, somehow, Leigha is meant to destroy the way things are now and combine the lands under one rule?"

"Is that even possible?" Kahlan asked, seriously considering his words.

Richard shrugged. "There was a time that we didn't think it possible for us to be together. Now here we are, married and parents to this beautiful little girl," he caressed Leigha's rosy cheeks. "I know we both believe her to be very special, but what if she's special to the rest of the world too?"

Kahlan couldn't help getting caught up in his hopeful scenario. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Same plan as always; we live," he replied. "We give the third box to Jennsen for safe keeping. I teach Leigha everything that's in the Book of Counted Shadows. You teach her what she needs to know about being a Confessor and how to control the Con Dar. Basically, we do what most parents do; impart our knowledge, love her, and hope for the best."

She nodded along as Leigha bounced in her arms. Kahlan once again marveled at how much she had grown. They had missed out on a lot but Kahlan was grateful just to have her back, alive. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the large oak tree again and she imagined what it would look like in the spring when the leaves returned, green and robust. "You knew this place existed all along, didn't you?" she asked her husband, thinking even further back to when they'd first described the plot of land where they hoped to live one day.

He grinned, looking slightly guilty. "Yes, my father brought me here for the first time when I was ten years old. It wasn't long after my mother died." He still thought of Mary Cypher as his mother. She had loved him just as much as his birth mother and he could not weigh his love for one over the other, just as he couldn't with his wife and daughter. "I used to climb that tree," he pointed to the oak. "And that is the river where my father would take me fishing," his finger pointed to the forest where the river lay just out of sight. "I always thought I'd build a home here some day."

"You want to stay here, don't you?" Kahlan queried.

"I'd love to stay here, Kahlan, but I meant what I said before," Richard spoke with assurance. "I don't want to hide away, and my place is with you. If you want to return to the Midlands and perform your duty as Confessor then I'll be there by your side," he vowed.

It only took her a moment to think over what he'd said. "What I want most right now is to be her mother," Kahlan looked to Leigha.

Richard's face scrunched up as he chuckled. "You already are."

"I know, I just meant…" she took a breath. "All the confessors are gone now, except for Leigha and me. She won't be able to take confessions for a very long time. The Tromani have probably spread word of Leigha's death. Maybe that belief won't last forever, but for a little while at least. I'll fight again if the need arises. And I'll minister to the people again when I feel it's safe to expose Leigha to all that. For now I just want to be her mother and your wife. And I'd like us to live here, if that's all right with you?"

"You don't need to ask my permission," Richard grinned as he turned to examine the lay of the land. "I think we should build our house over there, right where the meadow dives into the forest. It's not too close to the river, but still an easy walk to get water. We'll have shade in the summertime and a wind block in the winter and it will have the best view of our tree," he sounded like an excited child.

Kahlan laughed, infected by his mood. "It sounds perfect," she agreed.

"Let's go lay it out," Richard took her arm and was about to pull her along when their planning was interrupted.

Renn ran toward them with Sister Nancy a few paces behind. Hammond was a little further back as they approached, and Cara and Zedd were just emerging from the forest. "We're leaving now," the boy announced as he came to stand in front of his friends. "We're going to find the others that fled to the south. I can't wait to see Henry again. He's been like a brother to me these last few years, and the Sisters are all so kind."

Richard placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You've found a family with them. I think that's wonderful," he smiled.

"So do I," Kahlan agreed. "I'm happy for you." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. Leigha added her own slobbery kiss as well.

"You all are family too," Renn bravely gulped down his tears. "Maybe I can come visit you and you can visit me."

Richard nodded. "We'd like that," he spoke for both himself and Kahlan. "It's a promise."

Kahlan hugged Sister Nancy and then turned her eyes to Hammond. "Will you be going with them?"

The white-haired man shook his head and cinched up the pack in his left hand. "My place was at the library, but now that it is gone I would like to return to my homeland. I will speak with the leaders there; see if there is any way to stop the Tromani from being sent out to fight for those who can pay for such services. It may be a futile attempt; they may slit my throat before I am even granted an audience. But perhaps they will listen before they slit my throat. Either way, I'd like to at least try," he concluded.

"Safe journey to you, Hammond. Thank you for all of your help," Kahlan kissed him on the cheek. She stood back and watched his brief farewells with Sister Nancy, Zedd and the others. Then he was off, ambling slowly on his stubby legs. Sister Nancy and Renn disappeared in the opposite direction. "It feels like everything has come to an end," Kahlan remarked.

"No," Richard countered, a hand against her back. "Just another crossroads. I'm sure we'll see some of them again, though some we may never cross paths with again." Richard spotted Cara leaning against the tree behind them and gazing down at the mound of dirt that covered Denna's body. "And what of your path, Cara?" he asked. "What will you do next?"

She looked up. "My place is with the three of you," Cara stated.

Richard shook his head. "I don't want you to feel obligated to us."

"It is not obligation, Seeker," she spoke simply. "It is my choice. I understand now what it means to do as I wish. And I wish to stay, at least for now."

Neither Richard nor Kahlan made a big deal of Cara's decision, but both were pleased. "Since you're going to be staying, I wonder if I might ask a favor of you," Kahlan addressed the woman. "I would like to go for a walk with my husband."

"You may do so," Cara promptly replied.

Kahlan chuckled along with Richard and Zedd. "I wasn't asking for your permission, Cara. Richard and I would like to take a short walk, just over there by the edge of the forest," she pointed to the spot where Richard had already started to plan their house. "And I'd like you to watch over Leigha for us," she didn't wait for an answer before handing the baby over. Kahlan stood for a moment and watched as Cara looked dumbstruck by the child's sudden presence in her grasp. Then she took Richard's hand and led him away.

"I don't understand, wizard," Cara turned to face Zedd as she eyed Leigha with a combination of suspicion and curiosity. Finally she pulled the girl closer against her hip. "The Mother Confessor has barely been reunited with her child for a day's time and already she has let go of her. I didn't think she would do that for a very long time."

Zedd smiled, running a hand over his great-granddaughter's soft hair. "Well, they are not out of sight range and it's doubtful they will be gone very long. I do believe this is Kahlan's first attempt to show you that she trusts you," he concluded.

"Oh," Cara's confusion faded a little as she continued to stare at the girl in her arms.

Leigha reached out and grabbed Cara's long braid. "Dee!"

Cara frowned and pried her hair free. "No, I am Cara," she informed the child. "Can you say Cara?"

"Ca?" the child curiously tested the new word as she gazed up at the woman. "Ca! Ca!"

"You sound like a bird," Car replied, shaking her head.

Leigha grabbed the braid again and tugged on it with great strength. "Dee!" she exclaimed.

Cara turned to Zedd, clearly puzzled. "Do you have any idea why she seems to think Dee means hair?" she asked, while wrestling her braid from the baby's grasp.

Zedd laughed loudly as he watched the scene. "No, I can't imagine why," he lied, wanting to keep that secret between himself and Denna. He regarded the woman standing beside him for a long moment before he dared to extend a hand of friendship. "Tell me Cara, how do you feel about chickens?"

**xxx**

**Three months later…**

Kahlan followed the sound of laughter. It was a soft sound that greeted her ears as she worked her way through the trees toward the river. She walked along the short cut that Richard usually took, and was becoming nearly as familiar with the area as her husband. Kahlan didn't think she could ever come to love the land quite as much as he did, though. It just didn't seem possible. She'd never really stayed in any one place long enough to come to care about it with such depth. But she loved Richard and Leigha more than anything in the world and knew that wherever they dwelled would be home for her.

Their cabin had been built in the exact spot they'd planned that first full day on the land. It was a modest-sized post and beam structure with a sleeping room for them and a separate one for Leigha. There was a loft above Leigha room where Zedd often stayed when he wasn't in town. In between the sleeping rooms there was a large space with a stone fireplace. It was perfect for eating and gathering when their friends visited. It was also intimate enough to curl up together by the fire all by them selves.

When she reached the clearing by the river, Richard was already sufficiently muddy and Leigha was covered almost head to toe. Kahlan watched as Cara stood nearby, just out of range from stray mud splatters. The woman wore a smile on her face, watching over father and daughter as they played. Cara spotted Kahlan and greeted her with another small smile. It was an expression the former Mord-Sith was still learning to perfect.

"I should be going now if I want to reach Hartland before nightfall," Cara announced as she turned to leave the family.

"And how long will you be staying with Raff this time?" Richard called after her, balancing a slippery one-year-old on his lap. Ensor and his family had decided to stay in Hartland, finding a small farm to call home just outside of the main city limits. Raff had also opted to stay nearby, wishing to be close to his friends. A few of the other D'Haran soldiers had stayed for a short time, but most had since left, heading back to rebuild their lives in the Midlands or D'Hara.

Cara turned back, her jaw set in a stern manner. "Who said anything about seeing Raff?" she asked.

Richard grinned cheekily. "Come on, Cara. Chase told me that several townsfolk have seen you outside his room at the inn, on more than one occasion."

She placed both hands on her hips. "It is none of their business nor is it any of yours where I go or what I do," she replied, without confirming or denying the events of which he spoke. "I will back when you see me," Cara cryptically informed him as she turned on her heal again and was off.

Kahlan tried to aim a disappointed looked at her husband, but as she watched him hold on to Leigha's hands while she practiced taking several steps, it was hard not to smile. "Why do you do that to Cara, tease her like that?"

He shrugged. "It's just my way of reminding her that I trust her and that I… care," Richard smiled as he looked up at her.

"Well, don't be surprised if one of these days she reminds you what a bloody nose feels like," Kahlan grinned. She looked down at the dress she was wearing and then untied the front and slipped it off, leaving her standing there in only her underclothes. It was only one month into spring but the weather had been much warmer than was typical for the area.

Richard arched his brow in approval. "The attire is an improvement," he happily informed her as he watched her look warily at the mud. "But, first rule of playing in the mud puddle is to actually get in the puddle." Richard extended one hand and beckoned her forward.

Kahlan took the proffered hand and slowly stepped forward. She dipped one toe into the dark muck. "I'm sorry, but…" she paused a moment, finally placing both of her feet firmly into the puddle. The only reason she'd agreed to Richard's suggestion of learning to play in the mud was because he and Leigha seemed to have so much fun doing it. "It's hard to get over the fact that it is very… muddy." She'd never been afraid to get dirty in the heat of battle, but willingly plunging her self into a puddle had never crossed her mind as being fun.

His hand tugged a little more insistently as Leigha crawled a few feet away from them to explore on her own. Richard watched as his wife lost her balance and he laughed merrily as she landed on her bottom, firmly entrenched in the mud. "Sorry," he shrugged.

She glared at him, knowing full well that he'd done it on purpose. Kahlan grabbed a handful of mud and held it behind her back for a moment. "I'm not sorry about this," she said as the mud was flung at his head. A satisfied smile rested on her face for a moment as she watched him run his hands through his hair to dislodge some of the clumps. He was about to come after her when his attention switched to their daughter. He crawled after Leigha and caught her before she could escape the puddle. Kahlan watched them both as they laughed and splashed while pretending they were swimming back to her. She wished the moment would last forever, but knew that it couldn't. They'd been living a simple, quiet life for months but she still feared what the future held for her daughter.

Richard settled back in front of Kahlan and then looked down at his daughter. "Leigha, where did mama's smile go?"

"Mama!" the girl squealed.

Kahlan grinned, as she did every time that she heard Leigha call her mama. In three months time the little girl had easily learned to add the second syllable to the title. Richard knew that the girl repeated it whenever she heard it. Kahlan was grateful for the way he always knew how to cheer her up. "I'm sorry; I was lost in thought for a moment."

"Well, the second rule of being in the mud puddle: no thinking, only playing," he reached out and swiped a muddy finger down her nose.

She returned the favor. "Any rules on kissing in the mud puddle?"

"It's allowed." Richard beamed with expectation.

"Good," Kahlan leaned in toward him and then turned her head at the last moment to kiss Leigha on one of her chubby cheeks.

Before she could pull back, Richard snaked an arm around her and stole the kiss he'd been anticipating. The three of them sat close after that, trying to form a castle out of the mud. But it was too slick to stay together. "Do you hear that?" Richard asked. He halted their fruitless castle-building efforts and cocked his head to one side.

"The birds, yes," Kahlan replied.

Richard's eyes widened a little. "Not just any bird, a yellow warbler. My mother always used to say that it wasn't officially springtime until you heard the song of a yellow warbler."

Kahlan smiled. "I like that."

"Me too."

"No," she added. "I mean, I like the way you always have stories about things your parents taught you. You have such good memories of them. I barely remember my mother and my father…" Kahlan trailed off, pushing those memories aside. "I just hope that Leigha will have what you have some day, stories about things that we've taught her. Happy memories. I want her to have so much more than I had. I want her to hope for things that seem impossible, the way I never did."

"Well, her name is Leigha Cypher. She's bound to have that hopeful family trait," he replied. "But it's in you too, Kahlan. I've seen it. Just now, in fact. The way you hope for her to have a better life than you did. And I saw it when we encountered Jelka months ago. You were the first to stand up against her; to tell her that you didn't believe what she said about Leigha being dead. You had hope that she wasn't."

"I guess I did," Kahlan let herself be proud of that fact for a moment.

"I love you," Richard told her.

"I love you too," she easily replied.

He shook his head. "No, Kahlan," Richard took her hands in his as he looked her in the eye. "I don't think you fully understand. We've had a bit of a rough first year together as husband and wife, and we might have more rough years together. But I want you know that no matter what, no matter how much we fight or disagree on things, I will never stop loving you."

Kahlan stared at him for a moment, once again amazed that they were able to be together. She couldn't imagine her life without him in it. "I happen to like that we disagree."

"You do?" he looked a little confused by the comment.

She nodded. "Richard, if I had taken any other mate he would have been confessed to love me. He would have agreed with me and done whatever I asked of him without question. I'm not saying that I like to fight with you, but I like that you have an opinion to share with me and that you are willing to listen to my opinions. I like that you challenge me and make me see that there can be many different ways to solve a problem. Mostly, I love that you love me. I love that, for whatever reason, we have been given this chance to love each other. And whatever we face in the future, we'll do it with love on our side."

There was nothing more he could add to her sentiment so he kissed her again, once more sealing the vows they'd made a year ago. One of Leigha's little hands came up between them and caused them both to end up with a mouthful of mud. They each spit it out and then tickled their mischievous daughter until they were all nearly in tears from laughing so hard. Their combined laughter filled the afternoon air.

It floated on the gentle breeze, across the meadow, through the trees and down the river.

* * *

**End**


End file.
